MOHALI: India’s key batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are injury doubts for the fourth ODI against Australia here on Monday.

Sehwag was struck on his left foot by a Peter Siddle yorker while Gambhir was hit below the ear by a pull shot from Australian captain Ricky Ponting during the third one-dayer on Saturday. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up as cover, a statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.

Karthik, 24, was overlooked for the current series after featuring in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September-October. He has scored 502 runs in 33 one-day internationals at 23.90 and is also likely to be a backup for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.

Gambhir struck fine half-centuries in the first two matches but was out for six in the third match, which India won by six wickets on Saturday. Sehwag’s top score in the series has been the 41 he made in Nagpur.

Hopes out

MOHALI: Australia’s injury woes continued unabated on Sunday with all-rounder James Hopes being ruled out of the remainder of the one-day series against India. Hopes, 31, will return to Australia to continue his recovery from a right hamstring injury suffered during the first one-dayers at Vadodara, Cricket Australia said.

Hopes is the third Australian to fly back home during this seven-match series. Pace spearhead Brett Lee (elbow) and wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine (finger) are already back in Australia tending to their injuries.

Victorian fast bowler Clinton McKay has been named as a replacement for Lee while New South Wales all-rounder Moises Henriques will now remain with the squad for the rest of the matches.