November 18, 2025 : The Barsapara Stadium is all set to host an international Test match for the first time ever, with the key attraction being the serving of tea before lunch—a first in the history of the format. However, India captain Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in this historic occasion in Guwahati as he continues to race against time to be fit for the do-or-die second Test against South Africa.
Gill was taken to the hospital at the end of Day 2 in Kolkata last Saturday after retiring hurt on four, having faced just three balls in India’s first innings. On the following morning, the BCCI confirmed that he would take no further part in the match, in which the hosts were bowled out for just 93 runs in their chase of 124. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday evening.
According to a latest report in PTI, Gill has been advised to take rest for the next few days and will not be travelling to Guwahati for the second game. “He has acute neck pain, and we’re not allowed to go further into details about the injury. He has to continue wearing the neck collar,” a CAB source told the news agency. “He has been advised to take three to four days of rest and not to take a flight. We are monitoring his progress daily, and the picture will be clearer by Tuesday.”
If Gill is ruled out of the finale, where South Africa will be aiming for only their second Test series win on Indian soil, it will mark the second time he has missed a game due to a neck spasm. He suffered a similar injury in October last year, which forced him to miss a Test against New Zealand.
Who will replace Gill at No. 4 in Guwahati Test?
If Gill is unavailable for the match, India only has two other batters to choose from to lock in on their playing XI for the Guwahati game, with potential replacements being left-hand batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal.
Sudharsan was backed as India’s long-term No. 3 in Test cricket, but has been dropped twice since his debut earlier in the tour of England. While more recently, he scored 87 in the Delhi Test match against the West Indies last month, prompting criticism over his omission in Kolkata, the batter showed the management little confidence with his scores of 32, 12, 17 and 23 in the tune-up India A series against South Africa A in Bengaluru earlier this month.
Padikkal, on the other hand, who last played a Test match for India in the Dharamsala match against England in March 2024, only his second appearance in the format, returned with modest figures (6, 5, 5 and 24) in the India A series. However, he had scored 96 for Karnataka against Saurashtra in Rajkot in the Ranji Trophy last month, preceded by a knock of 150 for India A against Australia A in September in Lucknow.
However, picking either of the batters will leave India with seven left-hand batters in their XI, one more than what the team had fielded in Kolkata. And this would leave the visitors with an advantage, as Simon Harmer had feasted on India’s left-handers. Six of his eight victims were of that batting variety, while part-time offspinner Aiden Markram also dismissed one left-hander.
Another solution could be to use right-handed Dhruv Jurel at No. 4, a strategy that was used in the final innings in Kolkata on Sunday, and include Nitish Kumar Reddy in the line-up, with the all-rounder expected to rejoin the Indian team in Guwahati after playing the three-match List A series for India A last week in Rajkot.
The other solution could be drafting a replacement for Gill, and India do have a few options to choose from. While Abhimanyu Easwaran should be the preferred choice, given that he has been part of the Test squad for a long time, the Bengal star has been quite in form. His last six first-class scores stand: 0, 71*, 20, 25, 0 and 0. Sarfaraz Khan, too, has struggled for runs in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Rajat Patidar could have been a choice, but the batter has been out with an injury. However, Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad could be a favourable option. He has scored two centuries and two fifties in his last eight first-class matches since September this year, and followed it up with scores of 117 and 68 not out in India A’s List A matches last week. Karun Nair, too, is an option, who scored 73, 8, 174*, 233, 4 and 15 since being dropped from the Indian Test team, but will the management want to go back to him?
Summary:
With Shubman Gill facing fitness issues, India is left reconsidering its No. 4 batting position, sparking debate over who could emerge as a crucial last-minute replacement.