3 reasons why Jack Leach's absence is a big blow to England for 2nd Test vs India
England left-arm spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the second Test against India, which begins on Friday, February 2, at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The bowler failed to recover from a knee injury he sustained during the first Test in Hyderabad.
The 32-year-old hurt his knee fielding on the first day of the opening Test against India in Hyderabad, aggravating the issue on Day 2. He did not bowl long spells in the first Test following the injury, but still managed to get the key wicket of Shreyas Iyer in the second innings in which he bowled 10 overs.
“Unfortunately, the knock he took resulted in a haematoma in his leg. It's a big shame for us, a big shame for Jack, obviously after a long time out of the game with his back. To sustain that injury, first game back, obviously it's frustrating. But it's something we're assessing every day,” England captain Ben Stokes said at a press conference, while confirming Leach’s absence for the second Test.
On that note, we look at three reasons why Leach's absence is a big blow to England for the second Test against India.
#1 Jack Leach is the only experienced spinner in the England side
Leach is the only experienced spinner in the England side touring India [excluding Joe Root] and by some distance at that. The left-arm spinner has featured in 36 Test matches so far, claiming 126 wickets at an average of 34.40, with five five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul. He has been a key figure in England’s Test bowling outfit over the last few seasons - an unheralded hero of the side that’s identified with its extravagant ‘Bazball’ philosophy.
If we look at the other spinners in the England side, leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has played two Tests, left-arm spinner Tom Hartley made his debut in the Hyderabad Test, while 20-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir will make his debut in Visakhapatnam as a replacement for Leach.
All of the young spinners are talented no doubt and Hartley even bowled England to victory with seven wickets in the second innings of the opening Test in Hyderabad. However, as the cliché goes, there is no substitute for experience. As such, England will miss Leach’s expertise for sure.
#2 India might find it slightly easier having to deal with inexperienced spinners
As mentioned earlier, Hartley did come up with a fantastic bowling effort in the first Test in Hyderabad. And while Leach did not have a big role to play in England’s win in the previous match, he did keep things tight from one end in the limited overs that he bowled, ensuring the pressure wasn’t eased on India’s batters.
This is a cushion England may not have in the Visakhapatnam Test and might just make life for Team India’s batters a wee bit easier. Like batting, bowling is also about partnerships. If one bowler creates pressure at one end, his partner is often rewarded for the same.
This is not to say that Hartley, Bashir and Ahmed cannot do the job for England in Leach’s absence. But, it is a fact that they will be a lot more vulnerable if India’s batters manage to put them under pressure in the second Test, for the simple reason that they do not have the experience of dealing with such a situation at the top level.
It will be rather intriguing to see how England’s young guns respond if they find themselves in such a scenario.
#3 Anderson-Leach pair could have troubled India
England missed the services of James Anderson in Hyderabad as Mark Wood, chosen for his X-factor, failed to make an impact. Luckily for the visitors, they did not have to pay a heavy price for what was, in hindsight, an error of judgment.
Anderson has now been picked in the England playing XI for the second Test in Visakhapatnam. He will be the only experienced frontline bowler in the attack, with Leach having been ruled out due to his injury. As a bowling pair, Anderson and Leach could have troubled India’s batters with their expertise. They have done it in the past against other opponents as well.
With no Leach in the playing XI, India might look to play out Anderson safely and then take on the rookie spin attack. If things don’t go right for England with regard to their slow bowlers in Visakhapatnam, they would undoubtedly feel the absence of their underrated but valuable left-arm spinner.