Chennai: Joe Root has confirmed that Moeen Ali is to leave England’s Test tour of India.
While Moeen is expected to return for the white-ball section of the tour, he will not be available for the final two Tests of the series.
The news is a significant blow to England. Not only did Moeen take eight wickets in the second Test, he also top-scored in England’s second innings.
In the Chennai Test, Moeen bowled with increasing control as the match progressed. In his place, England are likely to turn to Dom Bess, whose confidence might have been compromised having been dropped after the first match of the series.
Moeen’s chosen to go home, Root confirmed after the Test. ‘Obviously it’s been a very tricky tour for him, and as mentioned at the start [of the tour], if players feel they need to get out of the bubble, then that’s been an option and it’s important that we stand by that.
From the squad, Moeen is the only one going home, he added. ‘It wasn’t about asking him if he wanted to stay, it was a decision that he chose. Of course we want as many players to stay available as long as possible, but we also want them to be comfortable here. He wants to be at home with his family and we respect and understand that.
It’s been a very difficult tour for him, having to deal with Covid and being in his room for such long periods of time. You come to a point where you want to get out of the bubble and that’s absolutely fair. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for him, but it’s one that we respect.’