India's key batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are injury doubts for the fourth one-day international against Australia here Monday. Sehwag was struck on his left foot by a Peter Siddle yorker while Gambhir was hit below the ear by a pull shot from Australian captain Ricky Ponting during the third one-dayer in New Delhi Saturday. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up to the squad as cover, a statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Sunday. “Dinesh Karthik will be joining the Indian team in Mohali,” BCCI Secretary N. Srinivasan said in a statement. “A final decision on the availability of Sehwag and Gambhir for the fourth match will be taken on the morning of the game.” India leads the seven-match series 2-1 after victories at New Delhi and Nagpur. Australia won the opening match at Vadodara by four runs. Karthik, 24, was overlooked for the current series after featuring in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September-October. He has scored 502 runs in 33 one-day internationals at 23.90 and is also likely to be a backup for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps. Gambhir struck fine half-centuries in the first two matches but was out for six in the third match, which India won by six wickets on Saturday. Sehwag's top score in the series has been the 41 he made in Nagpur. Injured Australian all rounder James Hopes will fly home after becoming the latest in the squad to be forced out of the series. Uncapped Victorian paceman Clinton McKay will replace the injured Brett Lee while all rounder Moises Henriques will stay on having come in as cover, a Cricket Australia release said Sunday. Hopes injured his hamstring during the first ODI and missed the next two. Australian stand-in stumper Tim Paine broke a finger and has been replaced by Graham Manou while first choice Brad Haddin and vice captain Michael Clarke did not make the tour due to injuries. South Africa win HK Sixes South Africa won the 2009 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes title in dramatic fashion Sunday evening as Farhaan Behardien smashed a six off the final delivery of the tournament to down a gallant Hong Kong. Set 98 runs to win the title for a third time, the South Africans left it late to claim the trophy as Behardien thumped Mark Wright's final ball into the stands. The defeat was a cruel blow for a Hong Kong side that had impressed throughout the competition and who went into the final having won all six of their previous matches, including two against South Africa. Kiwis optimistic New Zealand and Pakistan will both be hoping they can overcome a series of setbacks when they clash in the first of three One-Day Internationals here Tuesday. Since finishing runner-up to Australia in the Champions Trophy last month, New Zealand's problems have multiplied, following injuries to key players and the sudden departure of coach Andy Moles. Moles's resignation after differences with some of the players has left a void, but skipper Daniel Vettori is confident his team are capable of rising to the occasion. “Now every single person in the squad has to pick up a little bit of the slack,” Vettori said.
