England star doubtful for IND vs ENG 2nd Test, Youngster in contention for debut

England spinner Jack Leach is doubtful to play in the second Test match against India to be played in Vizag from February 2, as per reports in British media.

Leach didn’t take part in England’s practice session in Visakhapatnam and was receiving treatment for his left knee injury. Leach sustained an injury during Day 4 of the Hyderabad Test against India, but he carried up his injury and played with the pain.

Despite having swelling around his joint, the Somerset left-arm spinner gave support to debutant Tom Hartley and grabbed a wicket of Shreyas Iyer. Leach was seen limping during the practice session in Vizag and he needs to get through it quickly if he wants to play the second Test match.

Taunton spinner Shoaib Bashir has landed in India after facing trouble in the issuing of his visa. Bashir can replace Jack Leach if he is not fit to play in the second Test match. Bashir has picked up a total of 10 wickets from six first-class matches.

Jack Leach unlikely to play in the second Test India vs England Test

After winning the first Test against India, England captain Ben Stokes hailed Jack Leach and considered him as a warrior. Ben Stokes said, “He’s a tough kid, Leachy, so I’m not sure. You never know with Jack. You can never really write him off. We’ll see how he pulls up in a couple of days.”

England achieved a historic victory in the first Test match in Hyderabad by 28 runs. The Indian team were not able to chase down 231 runs and were wrapped up for 202 runs in the second innings. England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and will look forward to continuing the winning momentum in the second Test match.

India on the other hand added a humiliating record beside their name after losing the first Test match. In the history of the 91 years of Indian cricket, India lost for the first time after leading by 100 runs in the first innings at home. India led by over 150 runs in the first innings and were clear favorites to win the match until the first two days. However, England batsman Ollie Pope slammed a brilliant century and helped the team make a comeback in the match.

England grabbed a lead of 230 runs and the Indian team were not able to handle the pressure of the second innings and ended up losing the game.

The IND vs ENG Test series is very important from the perspective of the World Test Championship 2023-25. India slumped to the fifth position after losing the first match and now will want to make a comeback in the series. The Indian team, who has played in two finals of the WTC, will want to win the match in Vizag and strengthen their place in the rankings.

Both India and England are expected to play four spinners in Vizag as the ground staff can create a more spin-friendly pitch than Hyderabad. It might be tough for England to bring in ‘bazball’ on a turning surface.