IND vs SA, Kolkata Test: Shubman Gill Retires Hurt After Neck Strain, India Face Early Setback
India faced an early setback on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test as captain Shubman Gill retired hurt with a neck strain after just three balls, raising concerns over his availability. His exit briefly disrupted India’s momentum before KL Rahul steadied the innings.
Shubman Gill walks off retired hurt with a neck strain during Day 2 of the Kolkata Test against South Africa.
On the second day of the Kolkata Test, a frightening scenario was presented to India as the captain Shubman Gill walked off the field due to injury after a neck strain, thereby ending his innings just a few minutes after stepping onto the pitch at Eden Gardens.
Following Washington Sundar’s dismissal in the 35th over, Gill came in and appeared to be relaxed right from the beginning. After guarding himself against the first two deliveries from Simon Harmer, he calmly executed a sweep shot on the leg side for a boundary. However, just after making the shot, he seemed to be in some pain.
The Indian captain took off his helmet and was holding the left side of his neck, while standing still, he was motionless with pain. The physio came in immediately for an on-field assessment, but the management decided not to risk the issue getting worse. Gill after playing just three balls walked back to the pavilion, which made everyone present at the ground including the fans and teammates very anxious.
At that moment, India’s score was 79 for 2 and the quick exit momentarily disturbed the host’s rhythm. The crowd at Eden Gardens that had been cheering for Gill with loud noise, suddenly went quiet but the excitement returned when Rishabh Pant made his entry to bat, which was a sign of the start of the second inning of Test cricket for him after the Oval Test.
The medical staff was, meanwhile, keeping a close eye on Gill as he went inside for the treatment. Late in the day, more information about his injury is expected to be released.
With the disciplined South African bowling attack, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar played cautiously, thus, not only steadying the innings but also keeping the Indian side above the water. Rahul also scored his 4,000th run in Test cricket at the beginning of the session, and he did so with his usual composure.
India will continue to pray that Gill’s injury is just a minor one as his situation regarding the rest of the Test is still up in the air.
