"I'm going to have an operation to get the rest of the swelling out because it's not budging," Leach told BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday. "It was the second ball of the first innings in the field so that whole game I was playing with this knee problem.

"I obviously knocked it a few times throughout that game and it has just created a long period of recovery. I need to get the operation done and then hopefully I can get back to playing cricket. I'd love to have a run of playing cricket and getting into a bit of a rhythm again and hopefully that can happen again once I've got this sorted."

Leach has been Ben Stokes' go-to spinner, taking 47 of his 126 wickets under his tenure. He has also been a vital part of the dressing room culture, having played 14 of the 22 matches since head coach Brendon McCullum took charge.

Leach was due to play a pivotal role in the ongoing India series, particularly as the leader of an inexperienced spin attack made up of Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir. He presented Bashir, his Somerset team-mate, with his maiden cap ahead of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

England's home summer gets underway at Lord's on July 10 with the first of three Tests against West Indies. England will hope Leach will be back by then and match-fit, with Somerset's County Championship season starting on April 5 away to Kent.