Finger injury keeps Gill out of Day 1 in warm-up match against SLC XI
Colombo, Aug 7
India captain Shubman Gill will not take the field on day one of the three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI after sustaining an impact injury to his right ring finger during a practice session, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said on Friday.
In Gill's absence, vice-captain KL Rahul has stepped up to lead the side after SLC XI won the toss and elected to bat first. "Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice on Thursday.
"As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress," the BCCI said in a statement shortly after the coin toss.
Reduced from four days to three, the warm-up fixture marks a critical preparation window for India ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 15 in Galle. The match offers India, who last played Test cricket in June, a vital opportunity to adapt to Sri Lankan conditions, which are mainly spin-friendly.
The fixture also marks the start of Subhadeep Ghosh's stint as fielding coach after the BCCI chose not to extend contracts of his predecessor T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. While left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan is making steady progress from a niggle at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, the squad is without premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah due to knee injury.
Bumrah's absence has handed Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi his maiden Test call-up, while off-spin bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain is also included to counter Sri Lanka's left-handed heavy lineup. Currently fifth in the World Test Championship table, India need a strong outing in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka to boost their chances of reaching the final.
— IANS
Reader Comments
At least KL Rahul is there to lead. He's experienced and calm under pressure. And honestly, this warm-up game is more about getting the batting order settled against spin. Sudharsan and Saransh Jain getting chances is good. But I'm a bit worried about our middle order against their spinners, especially without Gill at the top.
This is why we need to start managing Gill's workload better. He's our future captain, but these little niggles keep popping up. Anyway, great opportunity for Auqib Nabi to make a mark. J&K cricket is on the rise, and if he does well here, he could be a dark horse for the series. 👏
Smart move by the BCCI to not risk Gill on Day 1 of a warm-up. The series is what matters, and India's WTC final hopes depend on it. The spin-friendly conditions in Galle could be tricky, but with Rahul at the helm and some fresh names in the squad, it should be a good test. Looking forward to seeing how the new fielding coach handles the team.
Why do we always have injury scares right before a big series? 🙄 Last time it was Bumrah's back, now Gill's finger. But credit to the selectors for bringing in Saransh Jain to counter their left-handers. That's proper planning! And I'm genuinely excited to see Auqib Nabi – we need more pacers from non-traditional regions. Hope Gill recovers soon!
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