Shubman Gill’s neck scare raises concern during Eden Test

Kolkata: Shubman Gill went low for a sweep against South Africa’s off-break bowler Simon Harmer. He connected beautifully and the ball raced to the boundary. He stood up with a satisfied look but suddenly froze, reached out for the nape of his neck and grimaced.

Soon, he was seen walking out of the field with the physio.

Gill did not return to the ground on Saturday and Rishabh Pant captained the side during South Africa’s second innings. It will be difficult to determine whether Gill’s discomfort is a result of his immense workload across formats or just an accidental injury, like a neck spasm you might experience after waking up. The flamboyant sweep off Harmer could have exacerbated the stiffness he was carrying, but is there a deeper issue?

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) is taking no chances and the skipper was said to have been taken for a precautionary scan, although an official statement will be released only on Sunday. “We first need to determine how he got the neck stiffness, maybe just a bad night’s sleep,” Morkel said. “I don’t think you can put it down to Shubman’s workload. He looks after himself very well and it is quite unfortunate that he woke up this morning with a stiff neck and that carried on for the entire day. It’s just bad timing for us.” Earlier, while warming up before the day’s play, the India skipper was seen repeatedly feeling the nape of his neck and even having a chat with the physio while slowly massaging the area. Gill, who plays in all formats, has been extremely busy since the Asia Cup. “I’m trying to figure out how to manage the workload,” he said on the eve of the Eden Test.