Leach suffered a knee injury during the first Test and Stokes was unable to say how long the 32-year-old will be out for.
With Bashir coming in, England are once again fielding three frontline spinners. Between them, Bashir, Hartley and Rehan Ahmed have only three Test caps.
In contrast, Anderson will collect his 184th cap and, at 41 years and 187 days on Friday's opening day, will become the oldest seamer ever to bowl in a Test in India.
It will make 2024 the 22nd consecutive year in which Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, has played at least one Test.
"It's great to bring in someone like Jimmy, who has an unbelievable amount of experience," said Stokes. "What maybe goes under the radar is his record out in India."
Stokes, vice-captain Ollie Pope and coach Brendon McCullum took a long look at the Visakhapatnam pitch before naming the England XI on Thursday.
It is not expected to turn as much as the surface in Hyderabad, but Stokes said it is drying out.
"The pitch looks drier than it did yesterday," he said. "It's about backing your decisions when you pick a team.
"We just feel the way we were able to operate with our spinners was a massive boost for us."
India will make at least two changes to their side, having lost all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter KL Rahul to injuries since the first Test.
They were already without star batter Virat Kohli, pace bowler Mohammed Shami and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
The defeat in the first Test was only India's fourth in 47 home matches. They have not lost the first two Tests in a home series since 2000.
However, despite seemingly carrying momentum from Hyderabad, England have memories of their last tour in 2021, when they won the first Test but then lost the last three.
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