Shubman Gill hurts finger during practice, doubtful for Perth Test
Star India batter Shubman Gill is doubtful for the first Test against Australia in Perth, starting November 22. The 25-year-old reportedly fractured his finger while taking a catch during India’s match simulation against India A on November 16 at the WACA and was quickly attended by medical professionals. It is expected for him to be out of action for at least 10 days if not more and can make his return in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.
According to reports, Gill will require at least a couple of weeks to recover from the fracture, and as a result, his not being included in the playing XI for the first Test is nearly confirmed, although an official confirmation is awaited in the matter.
“His thumb is not looking good. We got a scan done and it showed a fracture. It will take him at least two weeks to recover. He is ruled out for the first Test match. As there is a big gap between the first and second Test, we are hoping he will recover in time for the second Test,” a BCCI source told Indian Express.
Meanwhile, it’s still unclear if captain Rohit Sharma will be available for the Perth Test. He and his wife Ritika Sajdeh were blessed with a baby boy on November 15, which increased the chance of him playing the opening game of the series but it is not clear yet. In case he plays the first game, Rohit will be opening the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and either KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran can bat at three.
Both players trained for the opening spot in the last few days and neither of them could make a mark in the match simulation. That can be said for most of the Indian batters, which is slightly concerning ahead of the Perth Test. The Indian team has multiple options in their hands for the number three spot at the moment as Dhruv Jurel can be tested, after his brilliant performance in the unofficial Test against Australia A. However, he has done well in the middle-order, and moving him to number three can have consequences.
Gill also missed the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. During this, Virat Kohli was promoted to number three but that move didn’t work out very well, despite the Delhi-born scoring a half-century in the second innings. However, the team management can go in that direction as well if they plan to add more experience at the top of the order.
The Punjab-born meanwhile looked in good touch in the training sessions and also has experience of playing Test cricket in Australia, which players like Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan lack.
