Dinesh Karthik has been called up to India’s squad for the third and final Test against the Proteas.

Karthik, who has not represented India at Test level since 2010, gets the call up after wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha suffered a hamstring injury in the lead-up to the second Test and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.

India’s No 1 keeper Saha did not get many runs in the opening Test but he contributed significantly behind the stumps by taking 10 catches.

Parthiv Patel, who replaced Saha for the Centurion Test match, has struggled in his absence though, putting down four difficult catches.

Karthik, who has represented India 23 times at Test level and has taken 51 catches, has also scored 1 000 runs with a batting average of 27.7.

The 32-year-old has been playing in the local Zonal T20 league in India where he scored three half-centuries in his last five appearances for Tamil Nadu and he will be hoping to carry this form over into the final Test.

The second Test lies in the balance going into the fourth day where India will be hoping to even out the series after South Africa won the first of three matches.

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