England’s Jack Leach has been sidelined for the upcoming IND vs ENG 2nd Test in Vizag, owing to an injury, thereby presenting an opportunity for his Somerset colleague, Shoaib Bashir, to possibly mark his debut on the international stage. Despite sustaining an injury to his left knee during the 1st Test in Hyderabad, Leach bowled 10 overs in the second innings, clinching a crucial wicket as England secured a historic 28-run victory over India. In Leach’s absence, 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir, an off-spinner, appears poised to earn his maiden Test cap.

“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, Insidesport reported.

“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.”

England head coach Brendon McCullum has already indicated that his team might field an all-spin attack in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test in Vizag, particularly if the ball turns as sharply as it did in the opening Test in Hyderabad.

Jack Leach being sidelined from IND vs ENG 2nd Test due to a knee injury potentially paved the way for Shoaib Bashir to make his international debut in Vizag. However, his journey to potential debut wasn’t without hurdles. The 20-year-old off-spinner faced a visa issue last week, forcing his return to London for resolution. The issue has been resolved now and the Pakistan-origin spinner is now in India, set for a potential dream debut.

Bashir has only managed to secure 10 first-class wickets, maintaining an average of 67.

Meanwhile, India too faced a major setback ahead of IND vs ENG Vizag Test as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out of the fixture due to injuries.