Kolkata, 18 November. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will join Team India as cover for injured captain Shubman Gill for the proposed second and final Test against South Africa from November 22 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. It is noteworthy that Gill had to be ruled out after suffering a neck strain while batting in the first innings of the Kolkata Test and there remains uncertainty about his participation in the Guwahati Test.

If Gill does not reach Guwahati, he will catch a flight to Bengaluru.

According to media reports, Gill may go to Guwahati with the team, but considering the stiffness in his neck, his chances of playing in the second Test seem unlikely. If Gill is unable to reach Guwahati, he will fly from Kolkata to the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru. There is no problem regarding Gill’s journey. In such a situation, Nitish will be included in the team again. He was released from the team to play the first match against South Africa A.

Reddy was released for the matches against South Africa A

Reddy scored 37 runs and took one wicket in two unofficial ODIs against South Africa A. However, he did not bat or bowl in the second match played in Rajkot. The last List A match between the two teams is to be held on Wednesday. Reddy reached Kolkata on Monday evening, but did not participate in the training session.

It is believed that after playing in Rajkot on Wednesday night, it would have been difficult for Reddy to catch a connecting flight to Guwahati the next day, as it would have forced him to miss the first practice session and the team management was not in favor of this situation. If Gill is not fit in time, Reddy, having scored a Test century and being a right-handed batsman, could be in the running for a place in the playing eleven in Guwahati.

Indian players practiced in Eden Gardens

Meanwhile, India are desperate to save the series after losing by 30 runs in the first Test. This is the reason why the team preferred training instead of resting in the extra days left before the second Test. In this sequence, Indian players practiced at the Eden Gardens Stadium on Tuesday. Indian players and support staff members were seen training under the leadership of coach Gautam Gambhir. Captain Shubman Gill was not involved, but many Indian batsmen worked hard in practice.