There are fears England spinner Jack Leach may be playing in his final Ashes Test after being subjected to a merciless assault from Australia’s batsmen on Day 2.
England’s decision to pick Leach – a left-arm spinner – over veteran seamer Stuart Broad was questioned at the coin toss and his first innings performance so far has done little to silence the critics.
The 30-year-old bowled just 11 overs, even with the likes of Ollie Robinson and Ben Stokes struggling in the searing Brisbane heat, with Australia plundering the spinner for 95 runs in those overs.
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Leach’s economy rate of 8.63 was one that is considered high even in the game’s shortest format, let alone Test cricket, and allowed Australia to break the shackles after a tense opening session.
Australia’s relentless assault on Leach was similar to the tactic adopted against Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah, who was smacked for 124 off 14 overs during the New Year’s Test back in 2017.
Leach’s performance was a stark contrast to his output in the drawn 2019 series between the two sides, where he took 12 wickets in four Tests, including 4-49 at The Oval.
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The performance left many back in the UK wondering whether Brisbane would be the last they would see of the man who became a cult hero for his role in the Ben Stokes miracle in Headingley two years ago.
“It is almost frightening, and certainly demoralising, how quickly a Test match in Australia can slip away,” Scyld Berry wrote in The Telegraph.
“This is why England’s selection for the Gabba Test was wrong. They had to pack their side with four seamers, plus Ben Stokes, and no spinner except Joe Root.
“Leach could not fill this vacuum as the Australian batsmen decided to take him apart, and the runs he conceded – at the rate of 8.6 per over – have scuppered England’s chances.”
Former England captain Michael Atherton said the Australians attacked the left-arm spinner with “brutal intent”.
“Gone was the dark cloud and humidity of the first day, replaced by piercing blue skies and sapping heat,” he wrote in The Telegraph.
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“Splendid batting conditions, in other words, and an opportunity for Australia’s batsmen to twist the knife, which they did, slowly for the most part, unless Leach was bowling, when they attacked with brutal intent.”
The ruthless attack on Leach left BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew feeling some sympathy for the spinner.
“Jack Leach was a bad selection for the pitch,” he said.
“It is a five-seamer pitch and it seems a total luxury but you are five for this game because you don’t know how fit Ben Stokes is and you can bowl a seamer when you need him.
“It was utterly predictable that Australia were going to attack Leach – it is what we said yesterday. It was very obvious that’s what was going to happen.
“I feel sorry for him – he has hardly played since India. He’s bowled very well. He didn’t bowl particularly badly but they just smashed him.”
While Leach was far from the only thing to go wrong for England on Day 2, inews.co.uk correspondent Chris Stocks said the spinner’s showing was “the most alarming development”.
Leach is not the first English spinner to be taken apart on Australian soil, with the likes of Graeme Swann and Moeen Ali suffering similar fates in previous tours down under, but the left-armer’s performance received little sympathy from Stocks.
“What Leach served up at the Gabba … was worse than anything seen by either Moeen or Swann,” he wrote.
“Indeed, barring a miraculous performance in Australia’s second innings – presuming they actually have to bat again – he’s virtually unselectable for the rest of the series.
“You have to feel for the 30-year-old because he has been put in an impossible position by being asked to play his first Test in nine months on the biggest and most unforgiving stage of all.
“Leach is clearly not trusted by captain Joe Root, who opted against picking him for any of last summer’s six home Tests.”
The Telegraph‘s Nick Hoult even laid some of the blame on Leach for Stokes’ struggles.
“The non-selection of James Anderson and Stuart Broad will rumble for a long time and picking four seamers put pressure on Stokes to bowl when not fully ready,” he wrote.
“Also pity poor Leach was was overlooked all summer and then thrust into an Ashes Test on a green pitch. No surprise he was belted around.”
Despite the treatment he received, England’s bowling coach Jon Lewis was not prepared to count Leach out.
“It wouldn’t be one of his better days and he’ll want to put it at the back of his memory, but like I said about the other guys I know Jack is a pretty resilient fella,” Lewis said.
“We’re definitely not defeated yet. Expect Jack to come back strong tomorrow and show the character I know he has.”
With Stokes all but certain to be hampered for the remainder of this Test match, England will require a superhuman reversal of fortunes for its left-arm spinner in the second innings.