Gill most likely to miss Guwahati Test

It is not often India finds itself on the back foot on home soil. Following the 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Kolkata, the host hit the ground running with full intensity here at the ACA Stadium on Thursday (November 20, 2025) in preparation for the second Test as it looks to level the series.

The big news from the Indian camp is that skipper Shubman Gill is highly unlikely to take part in this crucial fixture that starts on Saturday (November 22, 2025).

The 26-year-old suffered a neck spasm while batting in the first innings at Eden Gardens, after facing just three balls and took no further part in the game. In a low-scoring encounter where neither team crossed 200, India desperately missed Gill’s services and now trails 0-1 in the two-Test series.

Though the skipper travelled to Guwahati, he didn’t practice and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said a call on his participation will be taken on Friday (November 21, 2025) evening. He, however, sounded a word of caution by insisting that they will not rush him back.

“See, he is definitely recovering really well. Now, the decision will be taken tomorrow (Friday) evening. The physios and doctors will have to decide whether he has fully recovered because he should not get that spasm again during a game, and that is very important,” said Kotak.

“If there is a doubt, then I am sure he will take a rest for one more game, because it won’t be helpful to the team (otherwise).”

In Gill’s absence, Rishabh Pant will take over as the skipper, and India will have a tough call to make on who could replace the former in the batting line-up.

While B. Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are the two frontline batters in the squad, drafting them in could make it seven left-handers and make it a favourable match-up for South African off-spinner Simon Harmer, who claimed eight wickets at Eden Gardens. If the team opts for a right-hander, Nitish Reddy is the only option available in the roster.

On Thursday (November 20, 2025), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Washington Sundar and Dhruv Jurel were the first set of batters to have a hit, indicating that India could stick to the same top four that was used in the second innings in Kolkata.

With the 22-yard strip being the big talking point in the first game, there is heightened focus on the kind of surface that will be used for the maiden Test in Guwahati. For this fixture, the curators have prepared a red-soil pitch with a generous covering of grass for now and watered it in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the failure to chase down the 124-run target yet again has opened the debate about the Indian batters’ waning strength on turning surfaces.

Explaining the technical skills needed to succeed on such surfaces, Kotak felt the batters needed to be more decisive in their footwork. “On such wickets, your footwork has to be good. If you pick length well — forward or back —you can bat anywhere. Being too defensive can also get you out because bowlers keep hitting consistent areas,” remarked Kotak.