Should he or should he not? What is the right call to make? Is there ever a right call in these situations? These are the questions doing the rounds about Shubman Gill. Let’s state the facts — medical advice was against Gill traveling to Guwahati. It was said that he could aggravate the injury by doing so. Gill, however, wanted to travel. As leader, he wanted to be with the team and go to Guwahati. That’s what he did.
Take the case of Rishabh Pant in Manchester or Chris Woakes at The Oval — or, for that matter, Anil Kumble in the Caribbean. In each of these cases, medical advice was against the player taking the field. And yet, the player turned up and made a difference. That’s what makes elite high-performance sport what it is, and adds to its romance.
Having said that, there is a very thin line between bravery and foolishness. Should Gill risk his future and play? Suppose he gets hurt again — how will he deal with it? Is the risk really worth it with so much cricket to be played over the next few months?
Also, isn’t it a fact that the player will always want to push and turn up? Should the management not take a firm call and decide what’s best for the player? On the other hand, if he does turn up and does well, how good will that be — and what will it do for his stature as a leader?
In this whole issue, there is no clear right or wrong. The facts are firmly aligned against Gill’s participation. As my readers go through this piece, one can safely say that Gill will not turn up for practice today. Yesterday, he travelled to the airport in a separate car and was accompanied by the physio. Clearly, this was a precautionary measure to ensure that the ride did not aggravate the injury further.
Gill is a rare talent and someone who is poised to lead India in all formats. He is the successor to Virat Kohli in many ways, and will need to protect himself from taking unnecessary risks. At the same time, legacies are built on courage and risk-taking. When a player pushes the bar and makes a statement, people take notice. With India down 0–1, Gill will know the importance of this Test match. Never in history has it happened that India have suffered two whitewashes in 12 months. Gill would be aware that such an unfortunate record would stay with him for the rest of his life. Maybe that’s what has prompted him to travel and try to turn up on Saturday.
The truth is, he will continue to be assessed, and only if things improve radically can he take a chance. Even then, he will not be 100 percent — it isn’t possible. He will also be going into the Test match without much training, and will be pushing himself to do so. How he will field for a whole day will be interesting, if he does decide to play.
Either way, for the next two days, Gill will make headlines. We wish him the best and hope he takes a prudent and rational call.
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