India’s opening batsman Virender Sehwag will miss the first two Tests against England in the npower series.

The 32-year-old is still recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent at the end of the IPL season, although he had been expected to be fit for the first Test match at Lord's on July 21.

Coach Duncan Fletcher admitted that he is unsure where Sehwag will feature during the series, having already missed India's tour of the West Indies.

"We've heard that he'll be over here for maybe the third and fourth Test, so we're crossing our fingers for that," Cricinfo quotes Fletcher as stating.

India’s skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes that losing Sehwag will be a blow to the team, but is confident that youngsters such as Abhinav Mukund can make an impact.

"As far as Virender Sehwag is concerned, there aren't many cricketers in the world who can have the impact he can,” Dhoni said.

“Of course we'll miss him, but the good thing for Indian cricket is it gives a chance to a youngster like Mukund who can have a look at international cricket and see what areas he needs to improve.”