India suffered a telling blow on Saturday after star player Shubman Gill suffered a left thumb fracture, which is likely to rule him out of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth, starting on November 22. , one of the young heroes of India's last Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, is a mainstay and if captain Rohit Sharma opts out of the first Test, India's top order could look very thin.
Gill was injured while fielding on the second day of the match simulation between the teams. He was in a lot of pain and immediately left the field for further scans.
According to a BCCI source aware of the development, Gill has indeed fractured his left thumb and with less than a week to go before the Test begins, it will be almost impossible for the stylish right-hander to get fit in time for the opening match. .
Healing a thumb fracture typically takes about 14 days, after which a person is expected to begin their regular net sessions. With the second Test in Adelaide starting from December 6, there is a possibility that he will be fit in time for that match.
Gill's absence could be huge for the national side as not only is he a stable number three batsman, but in case of Rohit's absence he could be in line to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The other man in the fray, Lokesh Rahul, has a bruised elbow after he was hit by a short ball from Prasidh Krishna on the opening day of the intra-squad match and was forced to leave the field.
Rahul's bruised area required icing and he did not take the field on the second day of match simulation on Saturday, although this is seen as more of a precautionary measure.
In Gill's absence, Abhimanyu Easwaran could be in line for his Test debut as India don't have too many options left.
However, if skipper Rohit, blessed with a son, decides to join forces with three days of training, then it will be a different story.
Mohammed Shami, who has bowled over 43.2 overs, taken seven wickets and scored 37 runs in the Ranji Trophy, is certain to join the team before the second Test.
The final day of the match simulation will take place on Sunday at the WACA, after which India A team, barring reserve players, will be back to India and join their respective state teams for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The main squad then move to Optus Stadium in Perth where they will have three net sessions from Tuesday to Thursday before starting the Test on Friday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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