NEW DELHI: India skipper Shubman Gill’s participation in the remainder of the opening Test is uncertain after he was stretchered off with his neck immobilised on Saturday evening at Eden Gardens. The injury occurred hours after he retired hurt during India’s first innings on day two.

Gill walked off on four runs, clutching the back of his neck, after suffering what appeared to be a whiplash while slog-sweeping Simon Harmer for four. He had faced just three balls before the physio attended to him, and he subsequently retired hurt.

Alarming scenes on the field

The situation seemed more concerning later on Saturday when Gill was taken away with his neck secured in a cervical collar, raising fears over the severity of the injury.

South Africa assistant coach Morne Morkel suggested the stiffness may have been caused by a bad night’s sleep rather than Gill’s packed playing schedule.

“I think we first need to determine how he got the neck stiffness, maybe just a bad night's sleep. I don't think it's, or we can put it down to the load,” Morkel said.

He added that Gill is one of the best-conditioned athletes, calling the timing of the injury particularly unfortunate.

“Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck,” Morkel said, highlighting how crucial another partnership with him would have been for India at the time.

Gill has been playing non-stop cricket across formats since leading India in the England Test series earlier this year. He joined the side immediately after the Australia white-ball series, leaving him with very little downtime before the ongoing Test. On Sunday, he returned to Kolkata and trained with the team on Tuesday.

BCCI Update

The BCCI confirmed that Gill is being closely monitored and a decision on his participation will be taken based on his progress.

“Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team. A decision on his participation today will be taken as per his progress,” the board said.

The incident occurred during a crucial 35th over after the drinks break. Moments earlier, Simon Harmer had removed Washington Sundar for 29 off 82 balls, with the ball drifting and turning away to take the outside edge for Aiden Markram at slip. With the match heading for an early finish, India now wait anxiously for updates on their skipper’s fitness.

(With PTI Inputs)