NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill, sidelined with a neck spasm sustained during the first Test against South Africa, is set to undergo a crucial fitness test on Friday to determine his availability for the second Test in Guwahati, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed.

Gill developed the spasm on the second day of the Kolkata Test and has not trained since. While his chances of playing remain uncertain, the BCCI sports science team is monitoring him closely and will wait until the last possible moment before taking a final call.

“See, he is definitely recovering really well, because I also met him yesterday,” Kotak said ahead of a practice session that Gill skipped.

“Now, the decision will be taken tomorrow evening, because the physios and doctors have to decide whether, even if he is fully recovered, there’s a chance of the spasm recurring during the match. That is very important.”

Bench Strength Ready if Gill Misses Out

Kotak emphasized that if there is any doubt, Gill will be rested, as playing him while not fully fit could hurt the team. “A player like Shubman, and he’s the captain, so any team would miss him,” he said.

However, the coach expressed confidence in India’s bench strength. “But if he is missing out because of injury, we have batters and plenty of good players. They are professionals; they should come and perform for the team,” Kotak added.

He also hinted at possible changes in the batting order depending on Gill’s status. “Dhruv Jurel batted at No. 4, so he is one option. But until we know about Shubman, there is no point discussing who will play. Once we know, and once we see the wicket tomorrow, we will think about the best combination.”

Reflecting on Gill’s absence in the first Test, Kotak noted its impact: “In the last game, nobody discussed much about what our chances would have been had Shubman batted in both innings. The second innings may not have even mattered.

If in the first innings he had batted and we had one partnership, with a 100-run lead, we would have been fine. That’s not an excuse, but a reality that he couldn’t bat in two innings.”

It is learnt that Gill probably needs 10 days to fully recover and then complete his rehabilitation to be match-ready. But if he plays the Test match, the logical step for the selectors would be to rest him from the three-match ODI series against the Proteas starting November 30 in Ranchi.

(With PTI Inputs)