It was a scary moment when the news of India’s number-three batter, Shubman Gill, getting hit on the thumb and potentially getting a fracture came out the curtains. He now fights against the time to get fit for the opening encounter at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The Blue Brigade is already struggling with so many absences and injuries.
India is already considering the absence of their captain, Rohit Sharma, who is supposed to be taking the flight in the upcoming days due to the recent birth of his second child, and he could end up missing the first fixture. Their other expected opening batter, KL Rahul, also is expected to be absent from the game.
Rahul was hit on his body against a ball that raised awkwardly during the three-day match stimulation contest at the WACA in Perth. The management now finds themselves in a critical position of slotting the opening partner of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Abhimanyu Easwaran is already in the squad, but his performances in the two unofficial Tests against Australia A at Mackay and Melbourne have not given much confidence to the selectors.
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Gill has done a decent job at the number three position in the red-ball games with the help of 926 runs in 25 innings at an average of 42.09 and a strike rate of over 60 with the help of three fifties and three centuries at the best score of unbeaten 119 runs.
Devdutt Padikkal to replace Shuman Gill for India in Perth Test in BGT 2024-25
In the ongoing year, the vice-captain of India has collected 806 Test runs in 19 innings at an average of 47.41 and a strike rate of over 61, shouldering on three centuries and as many as half-centuries. India has found their new stable batter at the place after they got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara.
“He hurt his thumb while fielding in the slips. He was sent for scans, and it seems he’s suffering from a hairline fracture. He will miss the first Test due to the injury but should return for the second.” The BCCI reports have been addressed to the Times of India.
Gill will be a massive miss for the visiting team after his heroics during the last 2020/21 series when he drilled 259 runs in six innings at an average of 51.80 with a strike rate of more than 60, thanks to his two half-centuries at the best score of 91.
In his position, the management is eager to add the left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal, who has already been part of the national side in the Dharamshala Test against England at the start of the year. A half-century has already come off his blade.
The Karnataka batter has smashed 2677 first-class runs in 66 innings at an average of 42.49 and a strike rate of 58.57 with the help of six centuries and 17 half-centuries at the best score of 193. In the first unofficial game in Mackay, he clubbed an 88-run knock in the second innings.
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India has been struggling with the fragile batting department after most of the batters failed to find the rhythm. Virat Kohli smacked just 93 runs in six innings against New Zealand at an average of 15.50 with the help of one half-century that came during the second innings of the Bengaluru Test.
Concerns will still remain around the structure of the batting, but Padikkal has emerged to be the candidate to replace Shubman Gill in the starting eleven of the Perth Test.
