NEW DELHI: England's Jack Leach will miss the second Test against India due to injury, opening the door for his Somerset teammate Shoaib Bashir to potentially make his international debut.
In the first Test, Leach, the 32-year-old left-arm spinner, had a restricted involvement in England's impressive 28-run victory. This was attributed to an issue with his left knee.
"He's ruled out of the second Test. Unfortunately the knock he took resulted in a haematoma," captain Ben Stokes told travelling British media on Wednesday.
"It's a big shame for us and a big shame for him. It's something we're assessing every day but the medical team have taken over on that so hopefully it's not something too serious that keeps him out for longer."
Bashir encountered a visa problem last week, requiring him to return to London for resolution. Despite this setback, he managed to return in time to witness the final day of England's remarkable triumph in the first match of the five-Test series.
The 20-year-old off-spinner has secured only 10 first-class wickets, maintaining an average of 67.
But rookie left-arm spinner Tom Hartley bagged a seven-wicket haul in India's failed run chase on Test debut last week and England may again ignore any lack of experience.
"To be perfectly honest, our training camp in Abu Dhabi was the first real live look I got at Bash," Stokes said.
"The first time I saw him was on Twitter. I think the County Championship put a little clip together of him bowling against Sir Alastair (Cook).
"I just saw something. With the height he bowled from, it was very obvious that he put a lot of action, a lot of revolutions, on the ball."
(With AFP Inputs)The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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