CRICKET
The first Test of the series at Trent Bridge ended in a draw after Day 5 was washed out due to incessant rain as both teams shared four points each.
While England may be sweating over Stuart Broad's fitness after the veteran pacer twisted his right calf muscle during the training ahead of the second of the five-match Test series against India at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, the visitors too may have an injury scare in the form of bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
According to The Guardian, Shardul has been struggling with his hamstring and may sit out of the game, if he isn't match-fit on the morning of the game on Thursday, August 12. Thakur, who was playing just his third Test match was preferred ahead of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as the fourth pacer in the bowling attack, who also offers something with the bat.
Thakur provided some crucial breakthroughs to the team in both innings picking up four wickets, two in each innings. Thakur dismissed Joe Root and Ollie Robinson in the same over in the first innings to swing the match in his side's favour and similarly removed Dan Lawrence and Jos Buttler in the second innings.
Now, with Thakur unsure for the second Test, Team India might bring in one of Ashwin or Ishant Sharma. While Virat Kohli after the first game suggested that India might go in with the same 'template' as far as the combination goes - one spinner and four pacers but Ashwin might prove to be a better replacement than Ishant since the former offers much more with the bat, the reason for which Thakur was drafted into the XI in the first place.
As far as England are concerned, Stuart Broad is set to undergo scans on his calf on Wednesday and a decision on his participation at the Lord's will be taken after the scans. Durham pacer Mark Wood might get a look-in in place of Broad if the 35-year old indeed misses out.