Buttler called up as cover

London - England had an injury scare to contend with ahead of the first Test against India when Jos Buttler was called up as cover for wicketkeeper Matt Prior on Tuesday.

Prior suffered a thigh injury while training on Monday, but was set to take a full part in Tuesday's practive at Trent Bridge ahead of the first of a five-match series which starts at the Nottingham ground on Wednesday.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said on Twitter: "Jos Buttler called into the England squad as cover for Matt Prior, who experienced some mild tightness in his right thigh yesterday (Monday). "... will continue to be assessed during training before a decision is made about his fitness for the 1st Investec Test."

Prior had been struggling with Achilles problems ahead of the recent two-Test series at home to Sri Lanka, which England lost 1-0.

Before that series there had been calls for Lancashire gloveman Buttler, at 23 nine years younger than Prior, to be given a Test debut after he'd impressed for England during the preceding one-dayers against Sri Lanka which included his 121 off 74 balls at Lord's.

But both the player himself and the England management said he needed to become more consistent with both bat and gloves in first-class cricket before he got a Test chance.

So far this season in the first-class County Championship, Buttler has scored 491 runs at 40.91 with one hundred and four fifties.

Prior was recalled to the Test side for the Sri Lanka series after being dropped following the third Test against Australia in Perth.

He made 86 in the first innings at Lord's but struggled behind the stumps in the second Test at Headingley, where Sri Lanka won by 100 runs to claim their first series victory on English soil.