India have no guarantees captain Shubman Gill will be ready for second Proteas Test

India are unlikely to risk captain Shubman Gill in the must-win second Test against the Proteas, starting in Guwahati on Saturday.

Gill suffered a neck injury in the first innings of the Kolkata defeat last week which forced him to be rushed to hospital, and subsequently ruled out of the Test.

Although the Indian captain “is recovering well”, he has been advised by the medical authorities that he requires more rest. 

India are yet to make a final decision on Gill, but vice-captain Rishabh Pant is on standby to lead the side in Guwahati.

"He is definitely recovering really well," India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said. "Now, the decision [whether to play him or not] will be taken tomorrow evening. The physios, doctors, they will have to take a call that, [even] if he is fully recovered, [during the] game, he should not get that spasm again.

"[...] If we have a, guarantee that, very likely, he won't have this issue again, then he will play. If there is a doubt, then I am sure, he will take rest [for] one more game, because it won't be helpful to the team [if he plays]."

One of Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy are likely to come into the starting XI for Gill, which poses a further challenge for the hosts. 

India fielded six left-handers in their starting XI at Eden Gardens - five in their top eight - and Sudharsan and Padikkal are both lefties too. 

The composition of India’s batting line-up has certainly provided the Proteas with an advantage due to the prowess of off-spinner Simon Harmer. 

The Eden Gardens Player of the Match claimed match figures of 8/51, turning the ball viciously away from India’s plethora of left-handers. 

Kotak believes too much focus was placed on the Harmer match-ups as the left-handers in reverse nullifies the threat of Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who only claimed three wickets at Eden Gardens.

"You tell me one thing, they had a left-arm spinner also. If we had seven right-handed batters, then? They had a left-arm spinner also, and an off-spinner also,” Kotak said.

“I believe that you have to play well. Offspinner bowling to left-hander does not mean left-hander has to get out. We had two left-arm spinners [in the first Test], they had nine right-handers; did they get out? So maybe that thing is a little overrated."