Ojha, Nair to Replace Injured Saha, Vijay in Test Squad

“The BCCI medical team confirms that Wriddhiman Saha and Murali Vijay have been ruled out of the remaining part of India’s tour of Sri Lanka due to injury”, BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said in a release.

Opening batsman Murali Vijay and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have both been ruled out of the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka which is to start from August 28 at the SSC, Colombo. Karun Nair and Naman Ojha have been named as replacements. Another Karnataka player has been picked for the third Test, ” Thakur said referring to Nair, at a felicitation event for the Karnataka Ranji team and the launch of the KPL 2015 website.

Vijay had missed the opening Test due to the same injury and has now sustained mild recurrence. But a Board of Control for Cricket in India media release late in the evening confirmed his unavailability.

Vijay has had recurrent problems with his right hamstring in recent times, while Saha’s lower right hamstring has cut short only his second series as India’s specialist keeper. Madhya Pradesh’s Naman Ojha has been named as his replacement.

“This is a dream come true for me and I am really looking forward to it”, said the 23-year-old after being selected for the tour of the Emerald Isles.

Sri Lanka will begin the final day of the second Test on 72-2 requiring a further 341 runs to open up an unassailable 2-0 lead, while India need eight wickets to level the series.

Nair’s match-saving hundred against South Africa “A” perhaps won him the selectors’ nod.

Ojha, the 32 year old who has played a solitary One-Day worldwide against Sri Lanka in Harare in 2010, has played just two competitive games since the end of the IPL, turning out for the India A side in the two “Tests” against Australia with limited success with the bat.

Vijay is the second Indian opener to get injured on the tour.