Back strain forces Bhuvneshwar Kumar out of final Test against NZ

Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been ruled out of the third and final Test in Indore against New Zealand with a back strain and medium pacer Shardul Thakur was named as the replacement.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee have named medium pacer Shardul Thakur as the replacement for injured pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Indian Team," said a BCCI release.

Kumar sustained the injury during the second Test at Eden Garden in Kolkata, which India won by 178 runs. He took six wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

India have already won the three-match series with comprehensive victories in Kanpur and Kolkata.