Jack Leach is not expected to feature in the Vizag Test.
Brendon McCullum may have entertained the idea of deploying an all-spin attack against India, but that strategy will have to be postponed. Jack Leach, England’s most seasoned spinner in the current squad, is unlikely to participate in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
The left-arm spinner, who suffered two blows to his left knee in the outfield and exacerbated the injury by bowling through it in the fourth innings, refrained from bowling during the practice session in Visakhapatnam, just two days before the Test match. He was visibly limping and received treatment on the sidelines of England’s training session.
However, England now has off spinner Shoaib Bashir at their disposal. Bashir, who arrived late in India due to visa issues, was unavailable for selection in Hyderabad. McCullum has highlighted Bashir’s positive impact during the team camp in the UAE.
“He’s a great kid, he’s got a lot about him,” commented Zak Crawley on Bashir. “He knows what he is trying to do with his bowling, and he backs himself. I like that and feel if he got his chance in this series, he would perform well.”
Leave a Reply