Brendon McCullum may have teased the prospect of an all-spin attack against India, but that strategy will have to wait. Jack Leach, England’s most experienced spinner in the current squad, is unlikely to play the second Test against Visakhapatnam.

Two days before the Test match, the left-arm spinner did not bowl in the practice session in Visakhapatnam. He had injured his left knee twice in the outfield and then made it worse by bowling through it in the fourth innings. On the margins of England’s training session, he was observed seeking treatment despite his obvious limp.

England, on the other hand, now has offspinner Shoaib Bashir at their disposal, who arrived late in India due to visa complications and was therefore unavailable for selection in Hyderabad. McCullum has mentioned how Bashir impressed the management during their squad training in the UAE.

“He’s a great kid, he’s got a lot about him,” Zak Crawley remarked. “He understands what he’s trying to do with his bowling and believes in himself. “I like that and feel like if he got his chance in this series he would go well.”