The All-India Senior Selection Committee have named medium pacer Shardul Thakur as the replacement for injured pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Indian Team. Kumar has been ruled out of the third Test of the series against New Zealand after he sustained a back strain in the second Test at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This is Thakur's second call-up to the Indian Test side, but he is still to make his debut. The Mumbai seamer toured West Indies with the side in July-August, but finds himself below the pecking order of pacers. Bhuvneshwar played a vital role in India's win at Eden Gardens, taking six wickets in the match. Meanwhile, Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the series because he is suffering from chikungunya.