Dinesh Karthik replaces injured Wriddhiman Saha for Afghanistan Test

India's wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha has been ruled out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan after he failed to recover from a thumb injury. Dinesh Karthik has been named his replacement by the BCCI.

Saha injured his thumb while facing a Shivam Mavi bouncer in the second qualifier of IPL between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Karthik makes a comeback to the Test side after a long gap of eight years. He last played a Test match way back in 2010 against Bangladesh but he has a prolific first-class record with 27 centuries and over 9000 runs.

Afghanistan's Test debut will take place in the match that starts on June 14 in Bengaluru.

So far, Karthik has had a superb 2018. After his heroic performance in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh, he led Kolkata Knight Riders to a third-place finish in the recently concluded Indian Premier League. He scored 498 runs from 16 matches at an average of 49.80.

DK's inclusion in the Test side looks like a long-term investment that the Indian selectors have made. With the England tour coming up after the Test against Afghanistan, selectors would've kept in mind Karthik's performance in England in 2007. He scored three half centuries - 60 at Lord's, 77 at Nottingham and 91 at the Oval in 2007.

That Karthik is seen to be a better batsman than Saha but his inconsistency has worked against him. But he has a better technique against the swinging and seaming ball which the Indian team is expected to face in England. In the wicket-keeping department, both Saha and Karthik are considered equally good.

This year, Karthik has looked more settled and goes about his business on the field calmly. When batting, he has shown an inclination to not become restless and throw away his wicket. He has also held his nerve under pressure.

The superb recent performance and the injury to Saha means DK, at his prime, gets one more chance to revive his career in the highest level of cricket.