It has become a widely accepted belief that the tale of any Test series in India will be woven by the spinners only. And with the return of spinner Jack Leach, England seems to have received yet another confidence boost as they head to India for an exciting five match test series starting on 25th January 2024 in Hyderabad.
Indian pitches and its nature due to the sub continental variations in climatic surroundings has always been a supporter of tracks that offer resistance more to the spinners than the fast bowlers. This is the only reason why touring SENA teams considers adding more spin options to their squads than the fast bowlers.
The England cricket team which is scheduled to tour on the Indian shores for a 5 match test series starting January 25 at Hyderabad have roped in 4 spinners for this tour . This includes the experience of Jack Leach, a test match old Rehan Ahmed, and uncapped duo in tests of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir.
Experience of Jack Leach to England’s aid in India
Jack Leach before embarking on this ambitious tour to India has played 35 Tests for England since his debut in 2018 and picked 124 wickets at an average of 34.2. He was sidelined for the entirely of last year’s Ashes at home due to a stress fracture in the back, which was diagnosed after he participated in England’s one-off Test against Ireland at Lords. But after regaining his fitness, the spinner is now all set to lead England’s charge with the ball in the upcoming five Tests against India.
Leach’s record in India is quite admirable, scalping 19 wickets in 5 matches, at an average of 32.42.Leach missed the entire Ashes series on home soil due to back injury as the selectors replaced him with Moeen Ali to which former England spinner felt that England missed the services of Jack Leach in Ashes 2023 due to which they were able to draw the series 2-2 at home and Australia regaining the famous Ashes urn.
However Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie feels that Jack Leach role in the upcoming series of India would be only restrained to contain the Indian batters and not the strike bowler although he is set to lead the pack of spinners which includes Rehan Ahmed who has only one test vs Pakistan with a five wicket haul to his name and two uncapped spinners in the form of left arm spinner Tom Hartley and off spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Jack Leach is a fine spinner but…- Jason Gillespie
Former Australian speedster Jason Gillespie believes Graeme Swann’s statement of Jack Leach being decisive to England’s 2023 Ashes series win is far-fetched. The South Australian argued that Leach is more of a role-player for England.
Leach missed the entire Ashes series on home soil due to back injury as the selectors replaced him with Moeen Ali. In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Swann claimed that the Somerset spinner’s presence would have ensured a series win for the hosts, which eventually resulted in 2-2 and Australia retaining the urn.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Gillespie singled out Leach as a like-for-like bowler for the retired Ashley Giles.
“Leach is a fine spinner, but he’s a role player for England, much in the mould of Ashley Giles in the 2005 Ashes. Giles was unheralded, averaging two wickets a Test in that memorable series, but his complementing of the four quicks shouldn’t be underestimated,” he wrote.
Nevertheless, the retired paceman believes Leach must play a leading role in India, given the remaining three spinners are rookie ones.
“Leach does a similar job for England now, particularly in the UK — although he’s going to have to be quite a bit more prominent in India, with Rehan Ahmed, a leg-spinner with a lot of potential but just one cap, and two new picks in Tom Hartley, of Lancashire, and Somerset’s Shoaib Bashir behind him,” he continued.
The 48-year-old underlined the need for the seamers to support Leach, elaborating:
“There is a lot of expectation on him heading into the first Test on Thursday, that’s for sure. Being lead spinner changes the onus on you as a bowler. And by the way, Indians are pretty decent players of spin. So what England must do is make sure their pace attack complements Leach’s slow left-armers.”
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has played only one Test, while left-arm spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley are uncapped in the format.
Reverse swing and keeping the stumps in play is going to be absolutely key – Jason Gillespie
Gillespie explained that English bowlers must deploy reverse swing and attack the stumps consistently during the upcoming India series. He stated:
“Fast bowlers can have success in India, but probably need to drag their length back a foot or so from what they would be bowling in England because of reduction in bounce. Reverse swing and keeping the stumps in play is going to be absolutely key. You must set your fields for that.”
With having lost their last two Test series in India, being defeated 0-4 in 2016/17 before losing 1-3 in 2020/21, England who remains the only team to beat India in a test series in India in 2012 England with now 4 spinners to its ranks and Jack Leach returning after injury would certainly would like to repeat the heroics of 2012 when they take on unbeaten Indians in a test series at their own back yard.