Sehwag, Jaffer to open in
first Test; Das dropped
Swashbuckling batsman Virender Sehwag will replace out of form Shiv Sunder Das in the first cricket Test against England at Lord's on Thursday.
He will open the innings with Wasim Jaffer.
"Veeru [Sehwag] is a special player. He has played well at Lord's
and could well get the opportunity there," coach John Wright said in Southampton on Monday.
Sehwag, who opened the innings in the one-day series,
scored 229 runs from seven matches at 32.71.
"It [Sehwag opening the innings] has been an enormous
plus for us," Wright added.
"He is a very positive player who will put pressure on
the opposition if he gets the opportunity early."
Das was dropped from the team for the second first-class
fixture against Hampshire, which the tourists won comfortably
by 66 runs on Monday.
"Since Das has gone out of the side he couldn't have
survived at (number) seven. He probably is one of our top six batsman. It is a matter
of finding space for him," Wright said.
Space will be hard to find in the playing eleven for Das
after the recent exploits of Dinesh Mongia and Mohammad Kaif.
While the Orissa batsman struggled in the opening
first-class fixture against the West Indies 'A', Mongia and
Kaif, asked to stay back for the Test series, each scored half centuries to ensure a draw in that match.
Mail Cricket Editor