File picture of England’s Jack Leach
| Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters
England spinner Jack Leach will miss the second Test against India that starts on Friday due to a knee injury, captain Ben Stokes confirmed on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury during the first Test on Sunday, where England secured a thrilling 28-run victory, and consequently, he did not take part in Wednesday’s training.
“He’s ruled out of the second Test,” Stokes said. “Hopefully, it does not keep him out for longer in the series.”
Leach’s team mate at Somerset, 20-year-old spinner Shoaib Bashir, is in the frame to make his international debut as a potential replacement for Leach.
Bashir was ruled out of the opening Test against India following a visa delay that was later fixed.
“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 against India will take place in Visakhapatnam from February 2-6.