Ton-up for Mukund after Sehwag falls cheaply

LONDON: Dashing India opener Virender Sehwag was out for just eight on Friday as Abhinav Mukund, the man he has been tipped to replace in next week's third Test against England, made 113 before retiring against Northamptonshire.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and batted but it was not long before Sehwag was lbw to Dave Burton, a 25-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler playing just his sixth first-class match.

As this is a two-day fixture, India may not have a second innings meaning Sehwag, set to feature in the third Test at Edgbaston, 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.

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.

Mukund, who has scored just 64 runs in total in the first two Tests, faced 160 balls including 18 fours before retiring during tea as the tourists closed on 327 for seven, having failed to pass 300 in the first two Tests.

By then Dhoni's poor tour with the bat had continued after he was caught behind for two.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, bidding to force his way into the Test side, was 48 not out at stumps.

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.

They have been replaced in the squad 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.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011