05 August,2011 06:11 PM IST | | AFP
Dashing India opener Virender Sehwag was out for just eight on Friday in what could be his only innings before next week's third Test against England at Edgbaston.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and batted but it was not long before Sehwag was lbw to Northamptonshire's Dave Burton, a 25-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler playing just his sixth first-class match, at the County Ground in Northampton.
As this is a two-day match, India may not have a second innings meaning Sehwag, set to feature in the third Test, will have had precious little time in the middle since undergoing shoulder surgery in May.
India are already 2-0 down in their four-Test series with England after a 196-run defeat at Lord's was followed by last week's crushing 319-run loss at Trent Bridge.
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If England maintain or extend their series advantage they will replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table -- something that will happen if they win at Edgbaston.
Sehwag, 32, renowned for his brilliant strokeplay, missed India's previous series in the West Indies and the first two Tests in England because of his shoulder problem but was included in the tour squad and arrived this week.
His regular opening partner, Gautam Gambhir, who missed the second Test with an elbow injury, was lbw for 18 on Friday to 21-year-old left-arm paceman David Willey, son of former England batsman and Test umpire Peter.
India recovered to 87 for two at lunch on Friday with Abhinav Mukund, set to make way if both Sehwag and Gambhir play at Edgbaston, 42 not out.
Venkatsai Laxman was unbeaten on 14.
India will hope a lack of preparation won't stop Sehwag from adding to an impressive tally of 7,694 runs in 87 Tests at an average of 53.43 with 22 hundreds, including two triple centuries.
India's tour of England has been beset by fitness problems.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (abdominal strain) and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (broken finger), who suffered their injuries at Trent Bridge, have both been ruled out of the remaining two Tests and been replaced by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and middle-order batsman Virat Kohli respectively.
Zaheer Khan delivered just 13.3 overs at Lord's before suffering a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the second Test.
However, the left-arm quick was in the India XI playing Northamptonshire.
