NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill missed the team's optional training session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, raising doubts over his availability for the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati starting November 22, NDTV reported.
If Gill is ruled unfit for the second Test, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is expected to captain the team, as he did in the first Test in Gill's absence, team sources told NDTV.
Nitish Reddy recalled to Test squad as Shubman Gill doubtful for 2nd Test
Meanwhile, the Indian squad carried on with their training sessions, with youngsters Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar, and Sai Sudharsan taking part under the close supervision of the coaching staff. Their presence underscores the team's emphasis on building bench strength and staying match-ready as India aims for a strong comeback in Guwahati.
After a 30-run defeat in the first Test, India face a crucial challenge, and Gill's potential absence is a significant blow. The team will now rely heavily on Pant to provide both tactical guidance and batting firepower against the World Test Championship holders.
All eyes will be on the wicketkeeper-batter, whose aggressive approach and leadership will be put to the test under pressure. Additionally, if Gill is unable to feature, the team will need to decide who fills the pivotal No. 3 spot in the batting order.
India have options in B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal if Gill is ruled out of the second match. Gill was taken to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test after suffering the neck injury while batting.
"He has acute neck pain, and we're not allowed to further go to details about the injury. He has to keep continuing wearing the neck collar," the source told PTI.
"He has been advised three-four days rest and not to take flight. In this situation, he is not advised to travel to Guwahati. But we are monitoring his progress on a daily basis and the picture will be clearer by Tuesday," the sources added.
