The Indian national cricket team has suffered a major blow ahead of its victory in the second and final Test against South Africa in Guwahati, as captain Shubman Gill will not be able to play in the match. However, Shuman Gill’s neck injury has put Axar Patel’s place in the playing eleven in serious doubt.
The Indian captain traveled with the team with the hope of proving his fitness, but the BCCI medical team has decided that he is still not ready to take the field. According to the Times of India report, Gill had planned to test himself with a long batting session in Guwahati.
Axar Patel’s place in India XI is in danger due to Shubman Gill
But the team management does not want to take the risk of making his injury worse. With a three-match ODI series against South Africa coming up later this month, the priority now is to ensure that the right-handed batsman makes a full recovery. Gill may also be sent back home from Guwahati to focus on his recovery.
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With Gill’s exclusion, the puzzle of India’s playing eleven has become even more interesting. Sai Sudarshan, who was dropped from the first Test against South Africa because India wanted an extra spinner at the Eden Gardens, has suddenly returned for the final Test in Guwahati.
After India suffered an embarrassing 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Kolkata, the hosts are keen to make a strong comeback in Guwahati, but Gill’s recovery has forced the team management to rethink their combination for the series-decider starting on Saturday, November 22.
India set to bring back Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy for Guwahati Test
A report in Times of India states that the team management has decided to give Sai Sudarshan another chance and there is every possibility of him returning to his number three position. Along with SAI, the name of young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is also being strongly considered for the Guwahati Test.
Reddy was recalled to the Indian Test squad after Gill suffered a neck injury in Kolkata, days before he was expected to join the squad. Now, there is a real possibility that both Sai and Reddy could walk straight into the India XI, which would rule Axar Patel out of the playing combination.
Reports indicate that there could be last-minute changes depending on how the pitch looks on the eve of the match, but the team management is keen to have both Sai and Nitish in the playing eleven for the final Test against South Africa in Guwahati.
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Barsapara Stadium is ready for Test debut, India has kept silence on the playing eleven
On the other hand, Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium is all set to become India’s 28th Test venue with the opening ceremony taking place on Saturday. However, the Barsapara Cricket Stadium pitch still has a noticeable green colour. But ground staff are expected to remove excess grass from the red-clay surface before the start of the match, which could change the course of play.
Well, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak refrained from revealing the playing XI and dismissed the talk of changing the lineup only for right-handed batsmen. He stressed that matchups do not guarantee wickets, pointing out that both teams had faced similar conditions in the first Test at Eden Gardens.
