On the second day of India’s intra-squad training match at the WACA, Shubman Gill injured his left thumb, raising concerns over the country’s batting order for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.
The selectors did not confirm whether Gill’s injury would impact his selection for the first Test, which begins on November 22 at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
In addition to batting at number three, coaches have considered Gill as a backup for the opening position alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in case Rohit Sharma cannot play in the first Test due to the birth of his second child.
However, it was unclear if Padikkal would be in the starting lineup or the reserves.
The joyful news that Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh gave birth to their second child on Friday reached the Indian camp while they wait for a complete evaluation of Gill’s ailment. Rohit had informed the BCCI and the selectors that he might not be available for the series opener because the delivery date was so close to the Perth Test.
Whether he will make it to Perth in time to play in the opening Test is still up in the air.
“On the first day of the simulation match, a short ball hit KL Rahul, another opening possibility, in the elbow, forcing him to leave the field.” Later in the day, when India’s top batsmen got another opportunity at the crease, he did not come out to bat. Rahul was also absent from the pitch on Saturday.
The second choice India has for the top of the order is Abhimanyu Easwaran.
On his maiden outing, Gill scored 28 off a back-of-length ball from Navdeep Saini before a fielder caught him at gully after he batted twice on Friday. When he returned to the crease, he scored an undefeated 42.
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