England spinner, Jack Leach, will no longer be part of the ongoing Test series against India due to a knee injury. The setback occurred during England’s victory in the first Test in Hyderabad when Leach sustained an injury to his left knee while fielding.
Leach, aged 32 and with an impressive record of 126 wickets in 36 Tests, missed the second Test in Vizag following the injury. As a result, he will be flying back home, leaving England without his services for the remainder of the series. At present, there are no plans to bring in a replacement for Leach as England prepares for the third Test in Rajkot starting on Thursday.
Instead, the team will rely on a spin trio comprising Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir, with additional support from Joe Root as a fourth spin option. This decision signals a show of faith in these less experienced players for the upcoming matches in the five-game series.
The left-arm spinner had only recently returned to the squad after missing last summer’s Ashes series against Australia due to a stress fracture in his back. Unfortunately, Leach’s England career has been marked by a series of health and injury setbacks since his debut in April 2018.