Manish Pandey replaces injured Rahane for Mumbai Test

Mumbai [India], Dec.7 (ANI):Right-handed batsman Manish Pandey has been roped in the Test squad as a replacement for injured Ajinkya Rahane for the crucial fourth Test against England beginning from tomorrow at the Wankhede Stadium. Rahane got his finger injured during the recent practice session and subsequently got ruled out of the remaining two Tests of the five-match series against the Alastair Cook-led side. "The BCCI medical team confirms that India batsman Ajinkya Rahane sustained an avulsion fracture on his right index finger and has been ruled out for the remaining two Test matches of the Paytm series - 2016 against England. A ball stuck Rahane during the practice session today," said a BCCI press release. Meanwhile, pacer Shardul Thakur has been called in as a back-up for Mohammed Shami, whose participation in the Mumbai Test is under clouds due to a bit soreness in his knee. Earlier in the day, Indian skipper Virat Kohli informed that they would take a call in the evening in terms of how Shami is feeling with his knee. Having drawn the first Test in Rajkot, England suffered crushing defeats in Visakhapatnam and Mohali. Therefore, it would be a herculean task for the visitors to stage a comeback against India, which is looking dominant enough to clinch the series with both their batters and bowlers performing exceedingly well.(ANI)