ENG vs IND: Virat Kohli confirms Shardul Thakur ruled out of Lord's Test, says THIS about his injury

Team India skipper Virat Kohli confirmed during the pre-match press conference that bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur will not be taking part in the second Test at Lord's after he suffered a hamstring injury but he suggested that it isn't that serious.

On the eve of the second of the five-match series against England, Kohli said that Thakur suffered an injury in his left hamstring, however, according to him he should be fit by the time the third Test match starts on August 25.

“From what we were told, he should be okay for the third Test. I think it is a myofascial strain on his left hamstring,” Kohli said on the extent of Thakur's injury.

However, Kohli wasn't too bothered about the lack of batting depth in absence of Thakur commending Jadeja's returns with the bat in the last game and that will hold them in good stead.

"Good thing is that Jadeja has got runs in the first Test already and he is going into the second game confident that already makes our batting deeper, the lower order contributed with bat a well. Yes, Shardul brings in more batting ability but having said that from the batsmen's point of view, we are well placed because (Cheteshwar) Pujara, Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) and myself we didn't score too many," Kohli further said.

Kohli reckoned that they are in a good play despite Shardul's absence and the failure of their middle-order saying that the openers performed brilliantly and said that the focus should be only picking up 20 wickets rather than bringing a bowler in the line-up with some batting abilities.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and pacer Ishant Sharma are in the fray to replace Thakur as Team India will be looking to put behind the disappointment of a draw in the first match and start afresh at Lord's.