He complained about a neck and shoulder pain to the team management last night (October 14).
In a recent development coming in, a star India batter’s availability is in doubt for the first India vs New Zealand Test, slated to start on October 16.
Talented right-hander Shubman Gill might be forced to the sidelines after complaining about a neck and shoulder pain to the team management last night (October 14). A call on his fitness is expected to be taken on Wednesday, the morning of the match itself.
India skipper Rohit Sharma has also confirmed that the decision regarding the final XI will be taken on Wednesday since it has been raining heavily in Bengaluru on the eve of the series opener and the final call can only be taken after assessing the conditions. The captain also added that the pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was under covers and the conditions would majorly dictate the team combination.
In the absence of Giil, India doesn’t have a like-to-like replacement for the No. 3 spot but has an option of pushing dynamic batter KL Rahul up the order.
The management also has the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhurv Jurel in the ranks who can feature in the middle-order. The Men in Blue can also opt to play an extra all-rounder in Axar Patel.
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Ideally, Sarfaraz Khan is the frontrunner for the role, given that he has been in stunning form and recently scored a double hundred for Mumbai in the Irani Trophy. This comes after Sarfaraz made an impressive debut for India during the five-match Test series against England earlier this year where he scored 200 runs in three Tests, including three half-centuries.
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