Jack Leach will miss the second Test between England and India, scheduled to be played from February 2 in Visakhapatnam after picking a knee injury in the series opener in Hyderabad. In Jack Leach's promising English spinner Shoaib Bashir is likely to make his first appearance in the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam. Although he was unable to debut in the series opener, a visa complication led to his return to the UK instead of joining the team in India from UAE.
With Jack Leach unavailable for the second Test, England's captain Ben Stokes has dropped a hint on the possibility of Bashir making the cut. However, Stokes stopped short of guaranteeing Bashir's inclusion in the final playing eleven.
"He's ruled out of the second Test," Stokes told reporters off Leach's injury.
“Unfortunately, the knock he took resulted in a hematoma in his leg. It's a big shame for us, a big shame for Jack, obviously after a long time out of the game with his back,” he added.
Leach was absent from England's practice session before the second Test and the chances of his recovery ahead of India vs England's showdown in Visakhapatnam. Leach, who suffered an injury during the first Test, bravely bowled 10 overs in the second innings and took a wicket, contributing to England's stunning win over India. He also picked Shreyas Iyer's prized wicket in England's winning cause.
In response to queries about the young spinner Bashir, Stokes said,"If he was to play on this tour, then the great thing he has on his side is, what is there to lose?" That is how I will be thinking about it, if he gets the chance to play: just to make sure I can give him the best experience I possibly can. Because you only play your first Test match once. If he does play, then I will be trying to make it as enjoyable and fun for him as I can".
Stokes, along with vice-captain Ollie Pope and head coach Brendon McCullum, have evaluated the pitch in Vizag, which will influence their decision on the quantity of spinners to include in the team. However, there's a growing likelihood of Stokes opting to include Bashir in the lineup, particularly in light of reports indicating that the Vizag pitch is likely to favor spin bowling.
"Myself, Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Popey [vice-captain Ollie Pope] will probably have a longer think about it. We looked at the wicket; I gave it a tap, and a play-around to make it look like I knew what I was doing. Bash is in the squad, we haven't brought him here to have an experience. If we feel we want to turn to him, we will," Stokes further added.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Big blow to Gujarat, star Australian pacer ruled out after undergoing skin cancer treatment
Prithvi Shaw's long wait is over as Indian opener set to make comeback on February 2 in this match
'I am not satisfied with...': Pakistan's Babar Azam breaks silence on persistent batting failures
Hammer blow to England, star player ruled out of second Test against India in Visakhapatnam
