Shubman Gill unlikely to recover from finger injury in time for 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test - Reports
Despite assuring updates by bowling coach Morne Morkel regarding Shubman Gill's finger injury ahead of the first Test, the right-handed batter will likely miss the second match of the Border-Gavaskar series. He had sustained an injury to his finger while claiming a catch during a match simulation against India 'A' in Perth.
Team India had to shuffle their batting order following Gill and Rohit's absences in the series opener. Devdutt Padikkal batted in Gill's position and scored 0 and 25 in the two innings in the historic 295-run triumph.
According to a report by The Times of India, Gill is almost certain to miss the upcoming two-day practice match against the Prime Minister's XI, scheduled for November 30 and December 1. The warm-up clash is crucial in the Men in Blue's preparation for the pink ball Test in Adelaide from December 6 onwards.
"Gill was advised a 10-14 day rest by the medical specialist after suffering that injury. He won't play in the practice match on the weekend, and is doubtful at the moment for the second Test too. Let's see how much his injury has healed, how his finger feels. Even after it has healed, he'll need some quality practice before playing a Test match," a source tracking developments told The Times of India.
India were facing a conundrum regarding Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill's positions in the batting order after the makeshift batting unit put on a mighty display.
With Gill likely to miss out on the second Test, a possible countermeasure that the team might consider is slotting in KL Rahul at No. 3 as Rohit Sharma returns to open the innings. The Indian skipper has already landed in Australia and commenced preparation for the series after missing the first Test and the match simulations.
Shubman Gill has had a number of nagging injury concerns lately
While no major injury has befallen Shubman Gill since 2021 when he was ruled out of the England tour, his recent track record has been rife with small injury concerns.
He missed the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup due to dengue. He was also absent from the second T20I against Sri Lanka and the first Test against New Zealand in 2024 due to neck spasm.