For their five-match Test series against India, England only selected Jack Leach, an experienced spinner. Leach injured his knee in the first game and was unable to play in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley have performed admirably in his absence, taking 15 wickets in the game. The hosts won the game by 106 runs, but they lacked experience in the middle.
Regarding Leach’s availability for the third test in Rajkot, there are some reservations as of yet. The 32-year-old’s knee is “pretty bad,” according to head coach Brendon McCullum; therefore, he hasn’t yet regained fitness. The former international for New Zealand stated that Leach’s injury is very “inflamed” and that he is unsure of when he will be able to return to the starting lineup.
Since Jack Leach has been a crook, I’m not sure why, but it’s still quite stoked. Despite his knee injury, Brendon McCullum told the Belfast Telegraph, “It was amazing he made it through the first Test match.”
Interestingly, once the second test ended, the visitors took a plane back to Abu Dhabi. The squad chose to take a short break in the United Arab Emirates before heading back to India for the remaining matches of the series, according to Brendon McCullum, since they didn’t want to be in the “heat of the battle.”
The 42-year-old interestingly added that the England players will not train in the United Arab Emirates and have not brought their kitbags. Even so, a lot will depend on how tired the players are after their workouts and fielding drills. Conversely, Dan Lawrence is scheduled to play a few ILT20 games with the Desert Vipers.
He joined the team in place of Harry Brook, who withdrew from the series due to personal issues. A few days prior to the start of the third Test on February 15, England is reportedly scheduled to visit India.
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