Injured Gambhir and Ishant out of second Test

India have omitted Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma from the second Test in Bangalore following injuries to their right knees. The squad for that Test, announced hours after the win against Australia in Mohali, includes Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund and Saurashtra quick bowler Jaidev Unadkat, both of whom are uncapped, as replacements.

Mukund, 20, has been a consistent performer in domestic first-class matches since his debut in late 2007. He has nine centuries in 29 matches, and an average of 55.88, and his career highlights include an unbeaten triple-century against Maharashtra in 2008 and a 257 against Hyderabad last season.

Unadkat, 18, has been promoted despite not having played a Ranji Trophy match. He first came into the spotlight when his Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach Wasim Akram endorsed his talent ahead of the 2010 IPL season. Though Unadkat did not make much of an impression in the IPL, he made the cut for India A's tour of England. He impressed with a 13-wicket haul at Grace Road on first-class debut against West Indies A. He was included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy game against Mumbai that coincided with the first Test, and he returned figures of 4 for 41 in the first innings to put his name firmly in the selectors' radar.

The youngsters get their chance due to the injuries to two of India's first-choice players. Ishant had been off the field for much of the first innings due to his injury but returned to play a crucial role in India's heart-stopping win in the first Test in Mohali. On Monday, he took three quick top-order wickets to deflate Australia's strong start and on Tuesday he stoutly hung on for a career-best 32 - and a match-turning 81-run stand for the ninth wicket with VVS Laxman.

Gambhir, who scored 25 and 0 in the first Test, was hit in the knee while fielding at short leg on Monday when he was trying to take evasive action to save himself from a Michael Hussey sweep off Pragyan Ojha.