NEW DELHI: Indian captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the must-win second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, handing the hosts a major setback ahead of the series decider. Gill, who missed the second innings of the opening Test in Kolkata after suffering a neck injury, has traveled with the team to Assam but will not take the field on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Gill’s injury sustained on Day 2 at Eden Gardens forced him to retire India’s chase of 124 – a chase that ended in a 30-run defeat. Although the 26-year-old was discharged from a hospital in Kolkata and appeared without a neck brace on arrival in Guwahati, the medical team advised him not to expose himself to the physical intensity of the five-day match. According to an NDTV report, Gill was “desperate to play” but the risk of deterioration was deemed too high.
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The report further added that India will turn to 24-year-old Sai Sudharsan to fill the void at the top. The left-hander, who made his England debut in June, appeared in five Tests and scored 273 runs at 30.33. His last outing, against the West Indies in October, included a composed 87, and the team management believes his temperament suits the high-stakes scenario.Gill’s injury streak is now likely to extend beyond the current fixture. News agency PTI reported that the Indian skipper may need at least 10 more days of recovery and rehabilitation, making his participation in the upcoming ODI series starting November 30 in Ranchi highly doubtful. With little to do in this series, the selectors are expected to rest him before bringing him back for the T20 stretch.
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The injury also comes at a delicate moment for leadership. With ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer still recovering from his own setback, the management is worried about a temporary skipper move that could open the door for KL Rahul or Axar Patel in the stopper role.India strengthened their squad ahead of the Guwahati Test, drafting Nitish Kumar Reddy early and keeping Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal in the mix. The city, which is hosting its first-ever Test, is expected to offer spin and bounce on a red-soil surface – conditions where Gill’s right-hander would be invaluable.
