3 reasons why England need not worry despite Jack Leach being ruled out of India series

Frontline England spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the remaining three Tests of the five-match series against India after failing to recuperate from a knee injury that he sustained during the opening Test in Hyderabad. The left-arm spinner, who came into the tour as the first-choice England spinner, could only bowl 10 overs during the second innings of the opening Test.

"He will fly home from Abu Dhabi in the next 24 hours, where the England team has been staying ahead of the third Test in Rajkot, which starts on Thursday (February 15).

"Leach will work closely with the England and Somerset medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation," the England and the Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated in a media release.

England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after a gritty, come-from-behind victory in Hyderabad before India drew parity with a resounding victory in Visakhapatnam. While Leach's absence could turn out to be a concern for England, the other three spinners have made a significant impact in the series so far.

The fact that there has been no replacement named for Leach shows the confidence the team management and the selection committee has in the rest of the squad.

Let us have a look at three reasons why England should not worry despite Jack Leach's absence from the last three matches:

# 1. The young spin trio has done a superb job so far

EJack Leach and Shoaib Bashir during a training session

The relatively inexperienced spin trio of Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir have done a commendable job in the two Tests so far and the England think tank will be hopeful that they can produce the goods in the last three encounters.

Hartley, after getting hammered to all corners of the ground in the first innings of the opening Test, came back strongly in the second innings, bagging seven wickets to set up a famous win for the English side. While Rehan Ahmed has been a bit inconsistent, Hartley has been a go-to option for Ben Stokes.

Shoaib Bashir, who made his debut in the second Test, didn't look too threatening but bagged the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma in the first innings. Overall, the trio have raised their game in the absence of their premier spinner.

# 2. The overall combination remains unaltered

Despite the absence of Leach, England will more or less have a similar combination for the remaining three Tests. While the experience of Leach could have been handy in spin-friendly conditions in India, the overall combination of the England playing XI is unlikely to be tinkered with.

In his absence, it was off-spinner Shoaib Bashir who made his Test debut. The England team management hasn't announced a replacement which clearly suggests that they are likely to stick with the same combination. Despite the lack of experience, the conditions in India should come to their aid in the remaining three games.

# 3. Joe Root has done a brilliant job as a fourth spinner

IJoe Root celebrates picking a wicket during the opening Test in Hyderabad.

Former England Test captain Joe Root has played the role of the fourth spinner to perfection. On occasions, he has looked the most threatening spinner which allows Ben Stokes to change the combination if they want.

James Anderson was the lone pacer for England in the second Test while Mark Wood spearheaded the attack in the first Test. Root has imparted significant turn and bounce from the Indian surfaces and has made sure that England haven't missed the services of Jack Leach so far.