IND v ENG 2021: “There have been some very successful bowlers who don’t bowl as fast as Monty”

While acknowledging Monty Panesar’s pace as the key to his success on the 2012-13 tour of India, England left-arm spinner Jack Leach stated he will stick to his usual pace and trajectory in the upcoming 4-Test series. The first match starts on Friday (January 5) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

England remain the last side to beat India in their backyard, when Sir Alastair Cook’s boys trounced the hosts 2-1 in 2012-13. And much of their success revolved around the spin duo of Graeme Swann (20 wickets in seven innings) and Monty Panesar (17 wickets in five outings).

While Panesar bowled quicker through the air, Jack Leach relies on flight, dip and angles.

“Monty bowled an amazing pace, and that on a spinning wicket can be very tricky. For me, I am probably not going to be bowling at the same speeds, but it’s probably more about how the ball gets there in terms of trajectory and things like that," Jack Leach said during a virtual press conference on Monday (February 1).

"There have been some very successful bowlers who don’t bowl as fast as Monty, so I think for me, it’s doing what my optimum pace is and going up and down little bit from there, try to get as much energy on the ball," he continued.

"I am always looking at ways to be as strong as possible in my action and be able to bowl fast, be able to bowl really slow, try and do what the wicket dictates,” the left-arm spinner added.

Players from both England and India have completed their mandatory six-day quarantine and tested negative for COVID-19 three times. While the hosts had their first outdoor session today evening, Joe Root’s boys will begin training tomorrow.

“Good thing for me that they’ve got a lot of right-handers” – Jack Leach

Jack Leach picked 4 for 59 to help bundle out Sri Lanka for 126 in the second innings of the second Test

England whitewashed Sri Lanka 2-0 away last month to extend their overseas winning run to five Tests.

Joe Root was the architect of the victory with 426 runs from two games, but Jack Leach (10 wickets) and off-spinner Dom Bess (12 wickets) also merited praise.

Like Sri Lanka, India have quite a few right-handers in their ranks. And Jack Leach seems to be smacking his lips at the prospect of testing them with his guile.

“We’ve got few days training, not sure what the wickets going to be like or anything. So we’re not looking too far ahead but yeah, obviously definitely want to make an impact. I think they’ve got quite a lot of right-handers, so you know, I’ll see that as a good thing for me and I feel like I can make a good impression,” Jack Leach added.

The first two Tests will be played in Chennai and the next two at the newly-constructed Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. While Chepauk has perennially aided spin, Motera too behaved like a goldmine for slow bowlers in the SMAT 2021 knockouts.