New Delhi: In a bid to get quality practice against quick bowlers, India have shelved their plan of playing a tour game and instead summoned four rookie pacers to travel with the team to South Africa.

The quartet includes Hyderabad's Mohammed Siraj, Madhya Pradesh's Avesh Khan, Delhi's Navdeep Saini and Kerala's yorker specialist Basil Thampi.

"These four are the next-in-line bowlers after the top five who are in the Test squad. Since the pacers in the Test squad should not be put under over exertion during the net sessions, it is only prudent that the next best lot of quick bowlers are there to provide quality practice," a BCCI official said.

Earlier in the day, Cricket South Africa stated that India's two-day tour game ahead of their three-match Test series was cancelled.

The Indians have instead, as per CSA, opted for training sessions on those days. PTI