England Cricket team has announced the Playing XI on Thursday for the second Test against Team India, starting on February 2 at Vishakhapatnam. England are leading 1-0 in the five-match Test series against India after winning the opening Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
The big news from the playing XI announcement is that Shoaib Bashir is set to make his international debut for England in Vizag Test. The 22-year-old has replaced Jack Leach, who has been ruled out of the second Test due to knee injury. Bashir was forced to miss the opening Test in Hyderabad due to delay in receiving his Indian visa.
Meanwhile, veteran England pacer James Anderson will feature in the second Test after he didn't play in the Test series opener in Hyderabad. In the last match, England went with Mark Wood as a sole fast bowling specialist.
Tom Hartley and Ollie Pope, star performers for England in Hyderabad Test, have retained their place in the playing XI. Despite having moderate outings across two innings in the opening Test, young spinner Rehan Ahmed has been backed by England team management and will feature in Vizag.
England didn't make any changes to their bowling combination as the visitors decided to go with three spinners and one pacer just like previous match. Joe Root is expected to chip in as an occasional spinner, while skipper Ben Stokes is likely to bowl in the second Test.
'It's a big shame for us': Ben Stokes on Jack Leach ruling out of the 2nd Test
Prior to official playing XI announcement, England skipper Ben Stokes already confirmed that Jack Leach has been ruled out of the second Test in Vizag. He stated that it's a big shame for Three Lions as Leach was out of the match after making a comeback. However, Stokes is hoping that Jack Leach's knee injury is not serious.
"He's ruled out of the second Test. Unfortunately, the knock he took resulted in a haematoma in his leg. It's a big shame for us, a big shame for Jack, obviously after a long time out of the game with his back." Stokes said.
"To sustain that injury, first game back, obviously it's frustrating. But it's something we're assessing every day. The medical team have taken over that, and hopefully, it's not something that's too serious and keeps him out for longer in the series," he added.
England Playing XI for Vizag Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (WK), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson
