Shardul Thakur, Stuart Broad ruled out of second Test, James Anderson also doubtful

The second Test between England and India will get underway on August 12 at Lords. After a riveting contest in the first Test, fans will expect another evenly fought battle in the next game. The team’s, on the other hand, will look to get a lead in the series after a tame draw in Nottingham. However, both England and India have been dealt with massive blows ahead of the match. For England, pacer Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the match after picking up a calf injury while India will be without the services of Shardul Thakur, who will miss the game due to a hamstring injury. England are also sweating over the fitness of James Anderson, who missed the team’s training session due to a sore quad and is doubtful to play at Lords.

Meanwhile, England have added Saqib Mahmood as a cover for Stuart Broad. However, the pacer is unlikely to feature as Mark Wood will be the first choice player to replace Broad. England are also likely to make few more changes. Moeen Ali can be drafted into the playing XI to strengthen their batting along with Haseeb Hameed, who may get a game in place of out of form Dominic Sibley or Zak Crawley.

For India, Shardul’s injury is a massive concern as it disrupts the balance of the side. In addition to being the fourth seamer, Shardul added a lot of depth to the Indian batting lineup. It will be interesting to see who India prefer as a replacement for Shardul. Ashwin can be a good choice but his selection will depend on the conditions. Else, India can opt to play either Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav