Ind vs Eng: 'Gabbar' Shikhar Dhawan unlikely for Lord's Test battle

Shikhar Dhawan. Pic/AFP

Struggling opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to be part of Virat Kohli's playing XI for today's second Test of the Pataudi Trophy series against England at Lord's. Southpaw Dhawan endured twin failures with the bat (26 and 13) in the opening Test at Birmingham (where India lost by 31 runs) apart from his sloppy fielding at slip.

It is learnt that the Indian team management has decided to recall Cheteshwar Pujara and open the batting with KL Rahul and Murali Vijay. Pujara will walk in at No. 3 followed by Kohli, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohd Shami and Umesh Yadav. According to sources, Rahane, who could manage only 17 runs in two innings at Birmingham, had a chat with legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar about his batting.

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