Karthik Flies In As Cover For Injured Dhoni

Saturday 5 January 2013

REUTERS / Action Images

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni may miss the third and final One-Day International against Pakistan due to a sore back and Dinesh Karthik has been added to the squad as cover.

Dhoni has been India's outstanding performer with the bat in the two defeats, scoring 113 and 54 - both unbeaten - in Chennai and Kolkata.

The final match is tomorrow in Delhi and Karthik has been asked to fly in as back-up to Dhoni with no other specialist wicket-keepers in the squad.

Karthik, 27, has played 52 One-Day Internationals for India, most recently against Sri Lanka in 2010. He made his debut back in 2004 and has scored five half-centuries.

Pakistan won the opening match by six wickets before dishing out an 85-run thrashing in the second game to put themselves in an unassailable 2-0 series lead.