England’s hopes of an unlikely First Test victory over India have been further hampered by a knee injury to frontline spinner Jack Leach.
Leach, playing his first competitive match since suffering a stress fracture of the back last June, is the senior bowler in a spin attack that otherwise includes novices Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, as well as part-timer Joe Root.
However, the 32-year-old bowled sparingly on day two of the opener at Hyderabad as the home side built a healthy first-innings lead of 175 with three wickets still in hand at stumps.
Leach, who had claimed the scalp of India captain Rohit Sharma on the first evening, sent down 16 economical but wicketless overs split across six short spells as the hosts batted through the second day, before spin coach Jeetan Patel confirmed the injury concern at the close of play.
"Jack banged his knee last night, the first dive down at fine leg, then he banged it again today and it's giving him a little jip to be honest," said Patel, adding that Leach is still expected to bowl in the fourth innings.
"It must be pretty serious, or serious for him anyway, because the reality is he wouldn't shirk that responsibility. It is sore enough, if you watch him in the outfield and I don't think it's a graze.
"You noticed he was a little sluggish trying to get to balls, but he stuck at it and I thought he actually bowled really, really well considering. He tried everything and he used the options he had, bearing in mind he was a bit hampered.
"That's what Jack does for this team, he'll always put in, but it's a bit of a shame from where he's come [with his rehabilitation], to dive on one at fine leg and all of a sudden you're hobbling around.”
To have any chance of victory, England must take the final three Indian wickets in quick fashion on Saturday, before posting a hefty third-innings total of their own in the hope of then spinning the hosts out cheaply on a fourth-innings pitch later in the Test.
Should India go on to secure what appears a probable victory, though, England will desperately need Leach to lead any fightback later in the series, with Hartley, Ahmed and the uncapped Shoaib Bashir the only other specialist spinners in the squad.
“It’s about being smart as well,” Patel added. “We’ve got four Tests to go and another innings at the back end of this game. We need a key man like Jack. I believe he’ll be back in the fourth innings.”
