• sportzyverse
• Cricket news
• 02/11/2024
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After missing the 2nd Test in Vishakhapatnam due to an injured left knee, England’s Jack Leach was ruled out of the rest of the Test Series against India.

In the first Test in Hyderabad, left-arm spinner Leach had bowled 26 overs in the first innings but did not bowl much on day one as England bowling coach Jeetan Patel said he had suffered a knock on his knee.

In the second innings, the experienced spinner would only bowl 10 overs but got the big wicket of Shreyas Iyer.

Ahead of the 3rd Test, Leach had to finally give in and keep himself out of contention for the test in Vizag as he missed the training session.

Jack Leach ruled out of the series against India

He will return to his home from Abu Dhabi within the next 24 hours. The England team has been stationed in Abu Dhabi in preparation for the upcoming third Test in Rajkot, scheduled to commence on Thursday.

“Leach will work closely with the England and Somerset medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation. England will not be calling up a replacement,” the ECB said in a statement.

England Cricket Board also stated that no replacement will called for Leach. Notably, England is left with an inexperienced spin line-up, consisting of Tom Hartly, Shoiab Bashir, Rehan Ahmed, and a prominent and effective spin-allrounder, namely, Joe Root.

With three matches left in the series, it will be interesting to see what new approach the Three Lions would adapt to on the spin-friendly pitches in India. 

On the other hand, India will face the next game in Rajkot without some key players. Former captain Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the rest of the series due to personal reasons, having already missed the first two Tests. Additionally, Shreyas Iyer has been omitted from the squad.

While KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are included in the Indian squad for the remaining Tests, their availability remains uncertain. Rahul is recovering from a quad strain, while Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury in the first Test and did not participate in the game in Vizag.