Veteran returns to national squad for Afghanistan Test
India call up Karthik for historic Test
India have suffered a setback ahead of the historic Test against Afghanistan, with wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha ruled out with a hand injury.
A damaged thumb has put the gloveman on the sidelines where he joins captain Virat Kohli, who sustained a neck injury in the IPL.
While Kohli was going to miss Afghanistan’s inaugural Test to play with English club Surrey in preparation for India’s five-Test tour of England, his neck issue has forced him to withdraw from his County stint.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) says Saha’s expected recovery time is "five to six weeks" and has been replaced by Dinesh Karthik.
Karthik, 33, has played 23 Tests but none since January 2010 against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
He made his Test debut against Australia in 2004 – the last time Australia won a Test series in India – and played alongside former captain MS Dhoni as a specialist batsman.
Karthik has opened the batting 14 times where scored his only Test century – 129 against the Tigers in 2007 – but is likely to bat down the order if selected.
The only Test against Afghanistan starts on June 14 in Bengaluru.