Shreyas Iyer factor could make Shubman Gill rethink risking injury in desperate bid to save Test series

There is a Shreyas Iyer factor that might make Shubman Gill reconsider playing in the final Test against the Proteas.

There has been no official announcement yet on Shubman Gill's availability for the second and final Test match against South Africa, which will get underway in Guwahati on Friday. The one BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, shared as part of a media release on Wednesday, was merely a health update. According to a PTI report, Gill not only travelled to Guwahati with the rest of the Indian squad on Wednesday, but also is desperate to go against medical advice and prove his fitness to save the series.

India's captain Shubman Gill and BCCI selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar interact during a practice session (AFP)

Gill had suffered a neck spasm while batting on Day 2 of the series opener in Kolkata last week and did not take part in the rest of the series. Although he was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, he was advised to rest for four days, which ruled him out of the Guwahati Test. While the pain reduced considerably, sources in the Indian team told the news agency that he is far from being 100 per cent fit.

Yet, Gill wants to eagerly play at the Barsapara Stadium later this week and hence wants to prove his fitness during India's training sessions at the venue on Thursday and Friday.

While it is a risk the team management and selectors would typically avoid, the report noted that they would rather consider a half-fit Shubman Gill for the Guwahati Test than Sai Sudharsan, who has looked far from convincing, or even one of Sarfaraz Khan, Karun Nair, or Abhimanyu Easwaran. However, the Shreyas Iyer factor might make Gill reconsider playing in the final Test against the Proteas.

The report explained that Gill ideally requires a 10-day rest before being ready for the next assignment. If he is released from the squad today, he could be back for the ODI series against South Africa, which will begin on November 30. On the other hand, if he plays the Test match, then he should be rested for the ODI series, which has little at stake, take a break and return for the T20Is against South Africa next month.

However, with his ODI deputy, Iyer, still from fit after his on-field injury during the tour of Australia last month, the selectors would be forced into picking a stop-gap captain if Gill skips the 50-over series. The last thing Gill wants is a third captaincy contender in KL Rahul or Axar Patel.

Gill can't realistically take on the burden of playing the second Test, three ODIs, and five T20Is in the next four weeks, given his injury and the already substantial workload he has had since the Asia Cup in September, along with the extensive travel involved. Looking at the bigger picture, and with the T20 World Cup just months away, Gill would be better off giving away the opportunity to participate in the second Test.