ENG vs IND: Shardul Thakur might miss out on Lord’s Test, Ravichandran Ashwin likely replacement

Shardul Thakur and Ravi Ashwin

India speedster Shardul Thakur is not likely to be seen in action during the second Test match against England at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. Some recent reports suggest that Thakur has injured his hamstring during a practice session ahead of the upcoming game from August 12 onwards.

Ace India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who unfortunately missed out on playing the Nottingham Test, might be the likely replacement for Thakur. The veteran off-spinner warmed the bench at Trent Bridge as Ravindra Jadeja was picked as the lone spinner owing to his superior batting skills. However, Ashwin has been in red-hot form since the Australia tour earlier this year and has done considerably well with the bat as well.

The Indian team management hasn’t confirmed this news yet and the final decision is set to be taken in the remaining time for the second Test match.

Stuart Broad also doubtful for the Lord’s Test

English quick Stuart Broad is also unlikely to feature in the second Test match between the two nations after he recently picked a calf injury. The 35-year-old will undergo the necessary scans and his further participation is subjected to those results. Meanwhile, the hosts have drafted spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali in their squad, who hasn’t played any red-ball cricket since the Chennai Test against India.

Recently, England skipper Joe Root also talked about the inclusion of Moeen Ali in the side. During the pre-match press conference, Root said:

“There are a lot of options we can go with currently. I think that’s the nice thing about bringing Mo (Moeen) into the squad. It gives us a number of different ways we can go, and balance the team out. It will all be taken into consideration. We will try to pick the side we think is best going to win here in the conditions we get.”

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