Nair in India squad after Dhawan ruled out with broken hand

MUMBAI: India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the third Test against New Zealand with a broken hand and replaced in the squad by the uncapped Karun Nair.

Dhawan had sustained a “minor fracture” on his left hand, the team said in a statement. His place in the team could go to Gautam Gambhir, who was drafted into the squad for the first time in two years after opener Lokesh Rahul suffered a hamstring strain during the first Test win in Kanpur.

The hosts completed a 178-run victory in Kolkata on Monday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The third Test is scheduled to start in Indore from Saturday but has been thrown into some confusion by a local media report that the Indian board (BCCI) had cancelled the remainder of the tour due to financial problems.

The Indian Express newspaper quoted an unnamed BCCI official as saying the tour had been scrapped after banks moved to freeze the board’s accounts amid a governance review by a court-appointed panel.