India's key batsmen Virender Sehwag (left) and Gautam Gambhir (right) are injury doubts for the fourth one-day international against Australia on Monday.
©AFP/File - Indranil Mukherjee

MOHALI, India (AFP) - India's key batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are injury doubts for the fourth one-day international against Australia here on 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 on 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 on 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 lead 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.