Stand-in India captain Rishabh Pant has confirmed that the team management has finalised a replacement for the injured Shubman Gill in the playing XI for the second Test against South Africa. Gill has been officially ruled out of the must-win fixture because of the neck injury he sustained during the series opener at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Gill had walked off after hurting his neck while batting on Day 2 and did not resume his innings or return to the field, as he was taken to the hospital. India eventually lost the match by 30 runs. Although he travelled with the squad to Guwahati, he did not participate in any training sessions before the game.
With Shubman Gill unavailable, India now face a significant gap in the heart of their batting lineup. Options on the bench include Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been brought back into the squad following his recent India ‘A’ performances.
During Gill’s absence in the second innings of the first Test, Dhruv Jurel was promoted to No. 4. Pant has now stated that the chosen player has already been informed that he will be stepping into Gill’s spot in the XI.
“We have taken the decision on who will play in place of Shubman. The person who will play knows he is playing,” the stand-in skipper said during the pre-match press conference (via RevSportz).
Rishabh Pant Shares Positive Update As Shubman Gill Heads To Mumbai For Neck Injury Consultation
Rishabh Pant also provided an update on Gill, who is reportedly travelling to Mumbai to consult a specialist and work out a treatment plan for the neck issue that has been bothering him for some time.
“He’s (Gill) doing fine, getting better. He was very keen on playing this Test. He showed resilience even when body was not permitting. I got to know yesterday only that I will be leading in this Test. I’ve been having a chat with Gill everyday,” Pant added.
The second Test between India and South Africa is set to take place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati starting Saturday, November 22.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
