India suffered a major setback ahead of the second Test in Guwahati as captain Shubman Gill has been declared unavailable due to a persistent neck injury picked up during the opening match in Kolkata. Although Gill travelled with the squad and hoped to clear a fitness assessment, reports suggest the BCCI medical team felt he was nowhere close to the level required to take part in the must-win encounter.
Gill reportedly wanted to spend close to an hour batting in the nets at Barsapara Stadium in an attempt to prove match readiness, but team management declined the request, prioritising his long-term recovery with the upcoming ODI series against South Africa in mind. While an official statement from the board is still awaited, the opener is expected to return home for rehabilitation.
With Gill out, India’s plans for the second Test have undergone a quick reshuffle. Rishabh Pant is set to take over the captaincy, while Dhruv Jurel is likely to slot in at No. 4—similar to his role in the final innings at Kolkata. Team sources indicate that Gill was initially being monitored in hope of late clearance, but once the extended net session did not materialise, the decision to sideline him became final.
The pitch in Guwahati still shows a hint of green, yet the management anticipates the surface will offer both bounce and moderate turn as the match progresses. This could lead to another change: Axar Patel, who was included in Kolkata, may return to the bench, with Sai Sudharsan expected to come back into the playing XI as an extra specialist batter. Additionally, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy—brought in early amid uncertainty over Gill’s fitness—might be handed a debut appearance depending on the final team balance.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak avoided giving clear hints about the combination but emphasised that matchups alone cannot dictate team decisions. He noted that quality and execution matter more than left-hand versus right-hand dynamics, pointing out that both teams handled varied bowling attacks effectively in the first Test.