Shubman Gill in doubt for 1st AUS vs IND 2024 Test after injuring finger while taking a catch - Reports
Team India batter Shubman Gill is doubtful for the upcoming first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series after injuring his finger. According to a report by the Times of India, the youngster sustained some damage while taking a catch in the slips during the ongoing match simulation against India 'A' at the WACA in Perth.
The team management are expected to wait for the extent of injury and take a call accordingly. Gill is likely to be available for the second Test in Adelaide, with a 10-day gap after the first Test to prepare for the pink-ball affair.
Team India have been hit by a slew of injury scares in practice. Sarfaraz Khan had sustained a blow on the first day of net sessions, while both Virat Kohli and KL Rahul suffered blows while batting during the match simulation. Kohli was sent for scans, while Rahul walked off midway through his innings.
Shubman Gill was being touted as a candidate to open the innings in Rohit Sharma's potential absence for the series opener. Even if not as an opener, the young batter was bound to feature at No. 3 in the batting order. The Men in Blue are left with a serious headache in their top order, should both Rohit and Gill be unavailable for the first Test.
Dhruv Jurel and Rahul are the likely candidates that Team India might use to plug the holes in the top order. With the latter being promoted, the visitors may also have to employ Sarfaraz in the lower-middle order.
Shubman Gill had a relatively solid home season with the bat
Shubman Gill is one of the few batters in the Indian setup who is naturally equipped to thrive in Australian conditions. He showcased his ability on his maiden tour back in 2020-21, when he countered the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood with authority.
While Gill has had a mixed run at No. 3, he was among the runs in Team India's home season. The right-handed batter recorded a hundred in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai and compiled a well-made 90 in the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.
Gill had missed the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru due to neck stiffness. A similar issue had ruled him out during the second T20I against Sri Lanka as well.