GUWAHATI: India skipper Shubman Gill will miss the must-win second Test against South Africa on Saturday because of the neck injury he sustained in the opening match.

The hosts will be led by wicket-keeper and deputy Rishabh Pant in Guwahati as they attempt to rescue the two-Test series.

“He is doing fine, he is getting better,” Pant said on Friday of Gill. “He was keen on playing this Test match but his body didn’t allow it.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Gill “will head to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury”.

The right-hand batter Gill suffered neck spasms in the first innings of the opening Test and pulled out of the remainder of the match, spending a night in hospital.

He travelled with the team to Guwahati but was forced out as the medical staff believed playing him would risk aggravating the injury.

“From a captaincy point of view, when you see his resilience that even when your body is not supporting, but you want to push it for your team, that’s the kind of mindset we want to inculcate and he did it from the front,” said Pant.

Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan is expected to replace Gill in the team, which will be announced at the toss.

India lost a low-scoring opener after they were bundled out for 93 in a chase of 124 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

It was India’s fourth Test defeat in six matches at home after New Zealand registered a rare 3-0 whitewash on Indian soil last year.

“It’s been a tough Test match, the last one, and coming out of it we just want to do whatever is required to win this Test match,” said Pant.

A flamboyant left-hand batter, Pant returned to India’s squad for the South Africa Tests after missing the home series against the West Indies last month as he recovered from a foot fracture.

The deputy captain said: “One-off matches is not the best scenario as a captain... but whenever you are leading your country it is the proudest moment especially in Test cricket.

“At the same time I don’t want to think about it too much. I do not want to take that undue pressure of captaincy in my mind.”

The Kolkata pitch drew criticism — it had turn and inconsistent bounce, the Test ending inside three days.

The best individual score was South African skipper Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 55 in the second innings.

“This wicket will play better. Definitely it is a better wicket to bat on,” said Pant.

“Obviously it will eventually turn after a few days but it is going to be a good contest.”

RABADA OUT BUT SA ‘BUOYANT’

Meanwhile, South African pacer Kagiso Rabada was also ruled out from the second Test due to the ongoing rib injury injury.

But South African skipper Temba Bavuma struck a confident tone despite the fast bowler’s absence.

South Africa are chasing a first series win on Indian soil since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000 and they must again do without Rabada, who also missed the victory in Kolkata.

“Lungi Ngidi has been added. In terms of starting XI we will finalise that tomorrow once we take one last look at the wicket,” Bavuma said on Friday.

“The mood is buoyant amongst the boys,” Bavuma said.

“We’re excited to try and replicate our performances as we did in the first Test.” He added: “Everyone is looking forward to it, looking at where the series is at, the whole narrative around it all. “We’ll just try and make sure that we lock in for the next five days.”

South Africa beat India at their own game of spin in Kolkata on a turning pitch with uneven bounce.

Pundits slammed the track, where South African spinner Simon Harmer returned match figures of 8-51.

Bavuma made a best individual score of 55.

“I think it will be a more traditional sub-continent wicket,” Bavuma said of the Guwahati strip.

“Good for batting the first two days and then day three the spinners should come into play.

“So I think all the fundamentals that come with playing in the sub-continent, first innings becomes crucial from a batting point of view to really set the game up.”

South Africa beat Australia to win the World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s and recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan.

Bavuma said a two-match series is not ideal in a bilateral contest.

“Look, however way the series goes, 1-1, 2-0, you know, it would be nice for a three-four match series against a formidable team like India,” said Bavuma.

“We woke up this morning to watch the Ashes and we watched with a little bit of jealousy knowing that they were 5-5 Tests, they’ll be going at each other.”

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2025