Jack Leach injury update by Brendon McCullum. Leach injured his right knee during the first Test against India.
For their five-match Test series against India, England selected Jack Leach, one of their only experienced spinners. Leach suffered a knee injury in the first game, which prevented him from playing in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir have performed admirably in his absence, taking 15 wickets in the game. They were inexperienced in the middle, though, as the hosts prevailed by 106 runs.
Also Visit: Sunil Gavaskar emphasizes the importance of first-class cricket in preparing for Tests
Leach’s availability for the third Test in Rajkot is still under question
Head coach Brendon McCullum says the 32-year-old’skneeis “pretty bad,” so he hasn’t recovered to full fitness yet. Leach’s injury is fairly “inflame” according to the former New Zealand international. H e is unsure of when he will be able to return to the starting lineup.
“He [Jack Leach] has been a crook, so I don’t really know, but it’s still pretty inflamed.” McCullum told Belfast Telegraph, “It was amazing he got through what he did in the first Test match, even though his knee is pretty bad. Notably, following the end of the second Test, the visitors returned by plane to Abu Dhabi. According to McCullum, the team chose to go to the United Arab Emirates to unwind for a bit before heading back to India for the remaining games in the series in order to avoid the “heat of the battle.”
Interestingly, the 42-year-old also stated that the England players have not carried their kitbags and will not practice in the UAE. However, they are likely to have gym sessions and fielding drills but a lot depends on the fatigue of the players. On the other hand, Dan Lawrence will be joining Desert Vipers for a couple of games in the ILT20.
He replaced Harry Brook in the squad, after the latter pulled out of the series, citing personal reasons. Meanwhile, as per reports, England will travel to India a couple of days before the third Test, which is slated to begin on February 15.
Also Read: Ishan Kishan training with Hardik, Krunal in Baroda