India on top despite Dhawan injury scare

Tour Match — The visitors cruised to 333 for four at stumps on the first day of the opening match of their tour of England against Leicestershire.

Dhawan receives treatment after being hit at Grace Road in Leicester.

LEICESTER - Shikhar Dhawan was hit on the arm but did not suffer major damage as India cruised to 333 for four at stumps on the first day of the opening match of their tour of England against Leicestershire at Grace Road on Thursday.

Test opener Dhawan retired hurt for 60 after being struck by a short ball from left-arm seamer Atif Sheikh. However, team management subsequently confirmed it was not a serious injury.

Dhawan was one of several batsmen who cut short their innings to give team-mates a chance of time in the middle with Gautam Gambhir (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (57) also making fifties.

The match lost its first-class status after Leicestershire agreed to India's request to play as many of their 18-man squad as they wished.

However, the tourists -- coached by former England boss Duncan Fletcher -- will only bat 11.

Leicestershire, right at the bottom of the two-division County Championship table and without a win in nine matches this season, fielded a second-string team.

Nevertheless they still nearly dismissed Dhawan for a duck when, after India won the toss on a green-tinged pitch, the first over of the match saw Dan Redfern unable to hold a head-high chance at third slip off the bowling of Anthony Ireland.

Dhawan went on to complete a 79-ball fifty, including 10 fours.

India lost their first wicket on 46 when Murali Vijay edged a swinging Ireland delivery to gully.

Dhawan got to fifty shortly before lunch but went off early in the second session when a Sheikh bouncer that didn't climb as much as he expected hit him near the elbow.

Gambhir got to his half-century in 95 balls before retiring to allow fellow top-order batsman Virat Kohli some time in the middle.

Kohli fell when he drove loosely at Shiv Thakor and was bowled for 29.

Pujara then called time on his own innings, with Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma seeing India through to stumps.

After this match, India make the short journey to Derby for another three-day warm-up fixture before remaining in the Midlands for the first of a five-Test series against England at Nottingham's Trent Bridge starting on July 9.