Dhawan last played Test cricket in October 2016

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been called up as a replacement for Murali Vijay for the upcoming three-Test series in Sri Lanka later this month.

Dhawan had originally been left out of the Test squad, but he was drafted into the side after Vijay was ruled out of the series with a wrist injury.

Vijay had been troubled by the same wrist problem during the four-Test series against Australia earlier this year. Once the series concluded, Vijay revealed that he had been playing with a fractured wrist and subsequently underwent surgery.

“Vijay, who had suffered a wrist injury during Australia’s tour of India, has complained of pain in his right wrist, while playing a preparatory match,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Monday. “The BCCI medical team has therefore advised that Vijay should continue his rehabilitation program.”

Lokesh Rahul and Abhinav Mukund are the two other opening batsmen in India’s Test squad.

The Test series between Sri Lanka and India gets underway on July 26 in Galle.