IND vs ENG 3rd Test: There comes a major blow for Three Lions as their star player, Jack Leach has been ruled out of the remaining Tests due to a left knee injury. He suffered an injury during the first Test in Hyderabad which England won after displaying a good show. The painful injury has forced Leach to miss the second Test as well.
He will now depart from Abu Dhabi for England where he will undergo rehabilitation under the guidance of England & Somerset medical teams. Notably, the England team has been stationed in Abu Dhabi after the completion of the second Test in Vizag. They will now move to Rajkot for the third Test without their key player Jack Leach.
England has not announced any replacement for Jack Leach & they will proceed with the current team. Leach’s absence can prove costly for England looking at the contributions Leach has made to England’s bowling attack. However, the board has prioritized his health & recovery & thus the entire focus has shifted to his rehabilitation. The absence of Leach will necessitate adjustments in England’s strategy for the remaining fixtures with the team likely to rely on alternative bowling options to fill the void left by his absence.
Shoaib Bashir could come in place of Jack Leach
Leach had missed on 2nd Test due to an injury which made the way for Shoaib Bashir, the right arm off spinner who made his debut in Visakhapatnam. Bashir was not that effective in the first Test and might feature in place of Leach in the third Test in Rajkot as the team has not announced any replacement in the Playing XI.
A statement from the ECB read, “He’s set to head back home from Abu Dhabi within the next day. The England team’s been bunking down there before their upcoming third Test in Rajkot, kicking off on Thursday. During his recovery, Leach will collaborate closely with the England and Somerset medical crews.”
England’s inexperienced pace attack is led by Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Bashir – who have played 6 Tests among them. They will now have a tough task to do well against the Indian players. But these players gave a tough time to the Indians during the Vizag Test when they scalped all ten wickets in both innings.
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: England Squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.
Also read, IND v ENG: Youngster Jurel Primed for Test Debut in Rajkot
