Due to his inadequate recuperation from his neck injury sustained last week, Shubman Gill is expected to miss India’s second Test match against South Africa, which begins on Saturday. In Guwahati, vice captain Rishabh Pant will take over as captain.
Gill is aware that playing so soon puts him at danger for more neck spasms, per medical recommendations.
More rest has been suggested for him. His inclusion in the ODI team for the three games against South Africa beginning on November 30 may also be impacted by the development. On November 23, the team for that series is anticipated to be selected.
India may have to select one of B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, or Nitish Kumar Reddy to replace Gill, who is expected to miss out.
After India’s first innings, in which he faced just three balls, Gill was declared injured and sent to the hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test. The BCCI announced on the morning of the third day that he will not be participating in the test any more. After being bowled for 93 in a chase of 124 on a surface with variable bounce, India lost the match by 30 runs. In October 2024, Gill also missed a Test match against New Zealand because of a neck spasm.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stated at a press conference on Thursday that the squad would not risk playing Gill if there was any possibility that the spasm would recur, prior to ESPNcricinfo learning that Gill is expected to miss the game.
In Kotak’s words, “He is definitely recovering really well,” “Tomorrow night, a decision will be made regarding whether or not to play him. The physicians and physiotherapists will have to make the decision that he shouldn’t experience that spasm during the game, even if he is totally recovered.
He will play if we can ensure that he won’t experience this problem in the future. He will undoubtedly rest [for] one more game if there is any uncertainty because playing [would not benefit the squad].”
The abundance of left-hand hitters in India’s team is one of their worries as they try to find a substitute for Gill. Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal, the two specialised hitters fighting for a spot in the lineup, both bat left-handed, and they had six players in their XI in Kolkata, five of whom were in their top eight. Offspinner Simon Harmer, the Player of the Match in Kolkata, benefited greatly from India’s lineup’s predominance of left-handers.
In addition to pointing out that South Africa also faced left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj at Eden Gardens, which should have benefited India’s lineup, Kotak said there had been too much attention paid to the offspinner vs. left-hander matchup.
They also have a left-arm spinner, you tell me that. What if we had seven batsmen who were right-handed? They also had an offspinner and a left-arm spinner. I think you need to play well. When an offspinner bowls to a left-hander, the left-hander is not required to get out. In the first Test, they had nine right-handers and we had two left-arm spinners. Did they leave? Thus, it’s possible that it’s a bit overrated.
Whether overrated or not, India will probably still consider the matches as they get ready for a Guwahati track that will be kinder to batters than Kolkata was.
Two days before the game, India’s required practice session provided some insight into Gill’s possible replacement. Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the first four hitters to enter the nets to bat. In Kolkata, the first three had been India’s top three, and in Gill’s absence, Jurel had batted at number four during the second innings. Next in the nets was Sai Sudharsan.
While Padikkal was observed bowling offspin in the spinners’ net on a part-time basis, he did not bat during the first portion of the practice session.
Back in training, seam-bowling all-rounder Reddy bowled with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep in the fast bowlers’ net after being cut from the team in Kolkata to play in India A’s limited-overs series against South Africa A.
Axar didn’t bowl at first and didn’t join his teammates until about forty-five minutes into the practice.
All of these does not necessarily indicate that India might be chosen. Each player has different preferences regarding the type and quantity of training they conduct before a game.
However, India might not feel the need for a second left-arm orthodox spinner and a fourth spin bowler on Saturday due to a more balanced wicket than Kolkata had anticipated. Reddy replacing Axar and Sai Sudharsan replacing Gill would allow India to keep the same ratio of left- and right-hand batsmen as they did in Kolkata. Reddy might also be a good choice with the ball because the pitch has a fair quantity of grass two days before the Test.
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