Gill will likely miss the second Test against South Africa.
Shubman Gill suffered a neck spasm during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata and was admitted to the hospital when his pain didn’t subside. He didn’t take any part in the game after retiring hurt and was later ruled out. His availability for the second Test is also in doubt as he will take a few more days to recover.
At this stage, Gill looks unlikely to be fit in time and might be asked to rest to avoid further issues. Hence, India will need to find a suitable replacement for him in the squad and then in the XI. There are already a few options in the side, but they might need to recall someone from the outside for tactical reasons as well.
We look at three batters who can replace Shubman Gill in the XI for the second Test against South Africa.
Sai Sudharsan might be the most obvious choice to return to the XI in Gill’s absence after sitting out of the first Test. He was supposed to bat at No.3, but the team management decided to play Washington Sundar at this position and added another spin-bowling all-rounder in the lower order. However, he might return to the XI now since he is ahead in the pecking order and take the No.4 slot.
Sudharsan showed encouraging signs against the West Indies, and his omission was surprising since he didn’t do much wrong as a batter, even if a century didn’t come. There’s also a possibility of him batting at No.3, with Sundar either moving to No.4 or below in the order after the main batters. Sudharsan is naturally a top-order batter who might be more comfortable at No.3 rather than going below it.
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If the team genuinely wants a middle-order batter at No.4, Devdutt Padikkal might be a better option than Sai Sudharsan. He has more experience batting in the middle, having done the same role for his domestic side and India A. Obviously, he will prefer No.3, but his previous exposure makes him more suited than Sudharsan for that No.4 slot, and he batted here against South Africa A recently.
Padikkal is a better spin player than Sudharsan, which will help him counter the quality South African slow bowlers, who clearly understand how to operate on subcontinent soil. He has done well on tricky pitches before, and his selection was also based on those performances in precarious situations. India preferred Sudharsan in the XI, but Padikkal brings high red-ball skills and the ability to accumulate runs on any kind of pitches, at least at home.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was released from the squad to participate in the ‘A’ series against South Africa A, but he might be recalled for the second game. The chances of him being included in the XI for the Guwahati Test are high for multiple reasons. Firstly, he is an all-rounder who is an RHB, a variety India need to counter South Africa spinners, especially Simon Harmer, who was very comfortable bowling to a plethora of LHBs in the first Test.
If he plays, India should move Dhruv Jurel to No.4, where Shubman Gill bats, with Nitish somewhere in the lower middle order, and his spin-hitting ability might be handy for India. Additionally, he provides an extra bowling option, which can be useful since the Guwahati pitch will be fresh, and conditions will aid fast bowlers in this part of the world. India have looked for more multi-skilled players across formats, so that’s another box Nitish ticks as an all-rounder.
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