Fletcher laments loss of Zaheer on first day of Lord's Test

India coach Duncan Fletcher claimed the loss of opening bowler Zaheer Khan to a leg injury cost the visitors the chance of "having a very good day" in the opening Test against England.

Khan was easily India's best bowler at Lord's on Thursday before he went to hospital for a scan on his left leg. He took both wickets as England reached 127/2 before rain ensured just over half the scheduled 90 overs were bowled on the first day.

"He showed he's probably the bowler we miss the most," Fletcher said. "Probably, the others lacked experience. Him going off was a big miss. From our point of view, I think maybe we would have been happy with three wickets. I think if he had stayed there and got three or four, we would have ended up having a very good day."

Before limping off the field midway through the 42nd over, Khan proved penetrating and miserly, recording figures of 2-18.

He trapped Alastair Cook lbw in the morning session and then duped England captain Andrew Strauss into a rash pull that was caught by Ishant Sharma at fine leg shortly after lunch.

"He's probably the one that could have got us three or four wickets, so he was quite a loss at that stage," Fletcher said.

India's other bowlers proved significantly less threatening, however, and while Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh were perhaps unlucky not to claim wickets, Sharma was inconsistent and failed to pressurise batsmen.

Fletcher argued they still bowled reasonably well.

"It was difficult for our bowlers to get used to the swing," he said. "I still think we bowled pretty well, but they need to get their lines right."

England's Jonathan Trott lived dangerously on his way to 58 not out. Having been dropped by Dravid at first slip off Harbhajan, he then edged a delivery from Khan between wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dravid.

"I think they were two very difficult chances," Fletcher said. "I think on another day one might have been taken, but they were very difficult chances and we've seen that happen at Lord's on numerous occasions."

He also defended his players against suggestions they lacked intensity in the field.

"Not at all. I thought those players were really up for the game," he said. "They wanted to play at Lord's and give it their best shot. Those players have just had three hard Test matches in the West Indies."

"It's not just a question of coming over here and getting used to the conditions. We've seen players play a whole Test series and struggle in the field."