With Shubman Gill’s participation in the Guwahati Test against South Africa looking unlikely, here’s how India could replace him in the XI.
The India Test captain had to walk off just three deliveries into his only innings of the Kolkata Test due to a neck spasm. He sweetly connected a slog sweep off Simon Harmer, but the sudden contraction of neck muscles triggered stiffness and pain, and he had to be taken to the hospital.
Latest reports coming out of the India camp suggest Gill will not fly with the rest of the team to Guwahati on Wednesday, November 19, making his participation in the Test unlikely. So, who could replace him then?
How India could replace Shubman Gill for the Guwahati Test
Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal is one of the two top-order batters who had to wait in the wings as India fielded all-rounder Washington Sundar as their new No.3. With Sundar the incumbent first drop, Padikkal may have to slot in at No.4 for the Guwahati Test if he replaces Gill, and if India don't want to re-jig their newly formed top-order.
So far in his Test career of three innings, the Karnataka batter has played twice at No.3, returning scores of 0 & 25 in Perth, and once at No.4, scoring 65 in India’s innings win over England at Dharamsala in March 2024.
Though the Dharamsala track wasn’t the rank turner that India have consistently dished out since, spinners dominated the proceedings, picking up 25 of the 30 wickets that fell. Padikkal gave a good account of himself. However, he hasn’t played a Test for India since, getting picked up for just three of the six series that followed.
That Gill decided to drop to No.4 and Sai Sudharsan took up the No.3 spot temporarily also prevented him from getting another game. Since his last Test, Padikkal has alternated between Nos.3 and 4 in first-class cricket, with slightly better returns from the latter, with scores of 43, 43, 150, 5 and 24.
Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan has played at No.4 for just two games in his entire first-class career of 38 games, and both those appearances came for Surrey in the 2023 County Championship season. He has opened, batted at No.3, and even batted at Nos.6 and 7 in first-class cricket (during his second County stint).
All of his nine Test innings have come at No.3. And while he hasn’t set the stage alight, like in first-class cricket, his best score of 87 came in the preceding series against the West Indies. But he was dropped for the first South Africa Test, partly due to his poor returns in the India A vs South Africa A series, and partly as the Indian management wanted more all-round options.
Logic says Sudharsan should replace Gill for the Guwahati Test, take the No.3 spot, with the rest of the batters likely dropping one spot each. But Washington Sundar’s assured outing in the Kolkata Test has probably put an end to that discussion.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Going by the India team management’s track record under head coach Gautam Gambhir so far, fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has the highest chance of the three to replace Gill in Guwahati. He can slot in anywhere from No.6 and below, with Dhruv Jurel likely to move up to four if Reddy is selected.
Reddy was released from the Kolkata Test squad to join the India A squad for the unofficial ODI series against South Africa A. He bowled just two overs in two games with the A squad, perhaps hinting at how the team management is eager to keep him away from recurring injuries.
But that also means he perhaps doesn’t have enough match practice to bowl in more important games, like the Guwahati Test, which raises the question: Does he warrant a spot in the XI just on his batting?
There is also a flip side to it; if one of the two aforementioned top-order batters is picked, it will leave India with seven left-hand bats, further compounding their problems against Simon Harmer. Nitish Reddy’s selection will mean at least three right-handed batters in the top seven (provided Axar Patel bats at 8).
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