England has suffered a big setback. Jack Leach, the left-arm spinner, can’t play the next three Tests against India. His knee got hurt while playing in Hyderabad. He tried to keep playing, but his knee got too swollen. So, he had to sit out the second Test in Vizag.
People thought Leach would get better during the break in Abu Dhabi. But after more tests there, he decided to go back to London for more treatment. The England team is in Abu Dhabi now, but Leach will leave within the next day. He’ll work with doctors from England and Somerset to get better.
Since Leach can’t play, England has to rethink its bowling strategy. They won’t bring in another player for the series. In the first two Tests, they only had one fast bowler and three spinners. But now, without Leach, they might change things. Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Shoaib Bashir are the spinners, but they are not very experienced. Hartley played in Hyderabad, and Bashir played in Vizag.
These spinners are giving away a lot of runs, and India’s batsmen are taking advantage. So, England might decide to play another fast bowler in Rajkot. They can also count on Joe Root to bowl some overs of spin.
The England team took a break in Abu Dhabi with their families. They will reach Rajkot on Monday.