India captain Rahul Dravid has been ruled out of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka starting here on Sunday due to a stomach ailment.
Indian team media manager M. Baladitya said Saturday that opening batsman Virender Sehwag will lead the side in Dravid's absence. Sehwag has regained fitness after missing the second Test due to a throat infection.
The media manager said Dravid was feeling weak after being admitted to hospital on Friday night for gastro-enteritis.
"He (Dravid) has not shown much improvement. He is still weak and needs another 48 hours to recover," he said.
Dravid, who replaced Sourav Ganguly as captain before the ongoing series, did not take part in practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.
The Indian captain, 32, completed 8,000 Test runs in the second Test at Delhi which his team won by 188 runs to gain a 1-0 lead in the series. The opening Test at Chennai was drawn.
Middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif is likely to replace Dravid in the playing eleven.