Due to a left knee injury sustained during England’s first Test in Hyderabad, spinner Jack Leach will miss the remainder of the England Men’s Test tour of India.
Jack Leach’s participation in England’s Test series against India has been cut short due to a knee injury sustained while fielding during the first Test in Hyderabad. The left-arm spinner injured his left knee while attempting to stop a boundary, further aggravating it the following day.
Despite managing to bowl 26 overs in the first innings, swelling in his knee limited his mobility, allowing him only 10 overs in the second innings.
Unable to recover from his knee injury, Leach missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam as India leveled the series. Despite hopes of improvement during the 10-day break, his condition persisted, casting doubt on his availability for the third Test in Rajkot.
Following assessment in Abu Dhabi, he opted to fly home for additional treatment, ruling himself out of the remaining three Tests.
“England and Somerset spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the rest of England Men’s Test tour of India with a left knee injury. Leach sustained the injury during England’s first Test victory in Hyderabad and missed the second Test in Vizag as a result. He will fly home from Abu Dhabi in the next 24 hours, where the England team have been staying ahead of the third Test in Rajkot, which starts on Thursday. Leach will work closely with the England and Somerset medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation,” the official statement from ECB read.
England has also decided against replacing Leach, leaving Ben Stokes without his top spinner. This leaves the team with limited spin options, relying on Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and debutant Shoaib Bashir.
The squad, presently in Abu Dhabi, will return to India for training sessions starting on the 13th at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
Last Updated on February 11, 2024
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