Virat Kohli Confirms Shardul Thakur Is Ruled Out Of 2nd Test vs England

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has confirmed that seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur is unavailable for selection for the second Test against England which will start at Lord’s from Thursday.

Thakur, who was picked ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin as India went in with the 4+1 template in the Nottingham Test, has been ruled out due to a hamstring niggle.

Virat Kohli, in his pre-match presser, revealed that Shardul Thakur has a strain in his left hamstring.

The Indian captain, however, added that the seam-bowling all-rounder is likely to be available for the third Test which will take place at Leeds from August 25.

Virat Kohli Confirms Shardul Thakur Will Miss The 2nd Test At Lord’s:

“Shardul should be okay for the third Test. He has a strain on his left hamstring” – Virat Kohli on Shardul’s injury.

Shardul Thakur played the role of a fourth seamer admirably in the first Test as he chipped in with crucial breakthroughs in both innings.

While he dismissed the dangerous-looking Joe Root and then Ollie Robinson in the first innings, he claimed the wickets of Dan Lawrence and Jos Buttler in the second.

However, doubts of a possible niggle ensued after the all-rounder bowled just 13 overs in England’s second innings.

With Shardul Thakur ruled out, the Virat Kohli-led team management has a tough decision to make as far as the make of their playing XI.

After the last match, Kohli said in the post-match interview that the team is likely to stick with the 4 seamers + 1 spinner template.

However, with Thakur unavailable for selection and none of the seamers possessing the ability to contribute with the bat, it remains to be seen whether Kohli and India bolster their batting by adding another spinner in the form of Ashwin, or do they pick a specialist seamer?

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