India will have to play the rest of the two Test matches against Sri Lanka without their in-form opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan as he has been ruled out of the series because of an hairline fracture in his hand.
This is a huge blow to the Indian team, as they already are nursing one injury concern, of Murali Vijay. Vijay had missed the first Test match due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by KL Rahul.
Dhawan had suffered an injury while fielding during the first innings of the first Test match. The injury impacted his batting as he curbed his natural game. His shot selection was also hampered as he could not use his hands freely.
Doctors who examined him have said he has suffered a hairline fracture and cannot be part of the playing XI for the rest of the Sri Lanka tour.
In other words, Dhawan will be returning home and make way for someone like Binny or Pujara to strengthen the squad.
Now it seems that in spite of performing poorly in both the innings, Rahul will continue to open for India. If Vijay becomes 100% fit, he will return to the top order. But keeping in mind the batting debacle the Indian team faced in the second innings of the first Test, Kohli would surely like to change a few things going into the second Test.
Cheteshwar Pujara did not find a place in the playing XI in the first Test. One would feel Team Director Ravi Shastri might just rope Pujara in to provide more solidity to the middle-order. Also, Pujara is more experienced than Rahul.
Meanwhile, BCCI selectors have also sent Stuart Binny to Sri Lanka to join the Indian squad. It will be interesting to see how Kohli would go about with his team selection. He has to be nothing but wise in terms of choosing his playing XI for the second Test match, which will be played at the P.Sara Oval in Colombo.
