File image of England’s Jack Leach
| Photo Credit: Action Images by way of Reuters
England spinner Jack Leach will miss the second Test towards India that begins on Friday on account of a knee injury, captain Ben Stokes confirmed on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury through the first Test on Sunday, the place England secured an exciting 28-run victory, and consequently, he didn’t participate in Wednesday’s coaching.
“He’s ruled out of the second Test,” Stokes stated. “Hopefully, it does not keep him out for longer in the series.”
Leach’s staff mate at Somerset, 20-year-old spinner Shoaib Bashir, is within the body to make his worldwide debut as a possible alternative for Leach.
Bashir was ruled out of the opening Test towards India following a visa delay that was later fastened.
“When it came to selection of the squad, there wasn’t too much thought around him because everyone was very, very impressed with what Bash (Bashir) showed,” Stokes added. “Everything we wanted in our spin group was answered by Bashir.”
The second Test towards India will happen in Visakhapatnam from February 2-6.