India has suffered a severe setback close to the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled to start on November 22 in Perth, with the loss of one of their top batsmen, Shubman Gill. According to reports, Gill suffered a thumb fracture.
Gill suffered his injury while fielding on the second day of a practice game. The 24-year-old was left writhing in agony after the incident and was taken from the field for scans. According to reports, Left thumb fracture is feared to be the extent of the damage, and this blow is likely to rule him out of the first Test. With barely days to the start of the match, it is unlikely that the stylish right-hander would make a comeback in time to take the field.
A routine thumb fracture takes around 14 days to heal, and after that, the cricketer can participate in net sessions normally. Considering that the second Test is scheduled for December 6 in Adelaide, there is a slight possibility that Gill might be fit to play in that match, but, for now, his absence in the opener of the series is a significant cause of concern.
Impact Of Absence Of Gill On Indian Batting Lineup
Injury to Shubman Gill could work a long way in weakening the Indian top-order batting. As one of the key players in India’s top order, Shubman Gill has been rather consistent, especially during India’s recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph. India would be left significantly undressed in the top-order department if captain Rohit Sharma does not play either.
If Rohit Sharma is missing the first Test, then Gill would have been a good opening option along with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Even without him, at times, combinations will need to be tried out.
Other Injury Worries
Not just Gill, though, India’s top-order batsmen have been dealing with injury issues. KL Rahul, who has always been a top-order batsman, too fell victim to an injury during the intra-squad match. Rahul suffered a blow on his elbow when Prasidh Krishna bowled a short delivery and had to leave the field for some medical attention. His fitness too will be a thing of careful watch as India kick-start the series with the first Test.
It is a few tricky days for India as they finalize their team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, considering these injury issues. The team would need to figure out what they have and what doesn’t fit and accordingly make changes so that they are completely ready to face Australia in this series.
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