Indian captain Shubman Gill’s availability for the remainder of the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata has, according to reports, come under a cloud after the India captain was hospitalised as a precautionary measure for a neck spasm. The incident happened on day two on Saturday at Eden Gardens when he had just begun his innings.
He faced three balls, the third of which he dispatched for a boundary off Simon Harmer with a sweep shot. However, the celebration was short-lived as he clutched the back of his neck and signalled for the physio. Later in the day, he was stretchered off the field in a cervical collar and transported to a private hospital in Kolkata for scans and observation.
Meanwhile, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel dismissed any workload concern.
"Yeah, I think we first need to determine how he got the neck stiffness, maybe just a bad night's sleep. I don't think it's, or we can put it down to the load," Morkel said during the press conference on Saturday.
"Gill is a very fit guy; he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us. Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time, and… just bad timing," he said.