Jack Leach has taken 16 wickets in three Tests in India, at an average of 26.75; Jeetan Patel: "[Leach] has been fantastic. The things he's had to deal with over the last 14 months prior to coming to Sri Lanka, and then forcing his way back into the side – and proving his worth"
Monday 1 March 2021 19:02, UK
Jeetan Patel says he feels "pretty fortunate" and "privileged" to be named England's full-time spin bowling coach as part of a series of new appointments announced on Monday.
Patel, capped 58 times at international level by New Zealand across all three formats, has joined the England coaching set-up on a permanent basis after a number of short-terms stints on the staff.
The former offspinner spent over a decade playing county cricket for Warwickshire and says he hopes to "upskill" the young spinning talent in the country and prepare them to play in all conditions.
"I feel pretty fortunate, pretty privileged to take up the role," Patel said. "To be playing six to eight months ago, and then to transition as quick as I have into this role, I feel pretty lucky.
"In terms of what I can offer this group, and spinners all around the country, is the opportunity to learn how to bowl in all sorts of conditions around the world.
"India is where we are currently, but let's think about Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, all of those places, and even back in England, where spin will play a big part in the game.
"My job is to make sure the quality is increasing. It's not going to be an easy one but it's one I'm looking forward to.
"The crux for me is to upskill them, not just in all formats but on all pitches, that's the important part."
England are currently preparing for the fourth and final Test of their series in India, trailing in the series 2-1 after suffering back-to-back defeats on spinning tracks since winning the series opener in Chennai.
The tourists went into the third day-night Test in Ahmedabad with a four-pronged seam attack - off-spinner Dom Bess missing out on selection - as they expected the pink ball to swing and seam around. Instead, 28 of the 30 wickets to fall were to spin as the Test finished inside two days.
"It's India, and so we expect to play on spinning surfaces," Patel said on criticism of the playing surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where the fourth Test will also be held.
"India needed to win that Test, and they stuck with their guns in what they wanted to produce - be that them or the groundsman, or whoever it was.
"Maybe we didn't expect it to spin as early as it did, to be honest with you - hence the line-up we picked.
"He [Bess] is in very good spirits. Though it's fair to say he was a bit disappointed he wasn't selected. The feeling was that the pink ball would react differently; we had a plan and it didn't quite work.
"I expect this Test match to again be on a spinning wicket, and we're going to have to find ways to make sure that, if we win the toss especially, we put a decent total first up."
One England player who has found the turning tracks of the sub-continent to his liking is left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has followed up a successful tour of Sri Lanka - in which he claimed 10 wickets in the two Tests played - with a further 16 in India at an average of 26.75.
Leach had endured a difficult time of things after making his Test debut in March 2018, with a combination of injury, illness and form restricting him to just 10 caps before his run of five-straight Tests this winter.
"It has been fantastic," Patel beamed when asked of Leach's bowling in India.
"The things he's had to deal with over the last 14 months prior to coming to Sri Lanka, and then forcing his way back into the side - and proving his worth - it has been testament to the sort of character he has got, and what he wants out of his cricketing career.
"Even now he is still looking at ways to improve and get better.
"The one big thing I've seen out of Leachy is, it's not enough, he wants to find ways to contribute in this group. And he knows there are still improvements to be made."
Follow text commentary from the fourth Test between India and England in Ahmedabad on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app from 4am on Thursday, March 4.
