Shubman Gill remains in doubt for the fifth and deciding T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday. The India vice-captain is understood to have suffered a toe injury during a practice session ahead of the fourth match, which was abandoned in Lucknow on Wednesday because of fog.
The good news is that local boy Jasprit Bumrah is back with the side after having gone on personal leave, though Axar Patel has been ruled out with illness.
South Africa have the chance to deny India a series victory in the final game which is poised at 2-1 in the home team’s favour. The Proteas have had a terrific tour, having won both the Tests and taking the ODIs into the decider before going down.
For India, this will be another chance to settle their team combination ahead of the T20 World Cup in February-March. Gill hasn’t been among runs and is already under pressure to keep his place in the playing XI.
If Sanju Samson does open the innings with
Abhishek Sharma and gets some runs, it will once again lead to talk about Gill’s place
in the side. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav too faces the
same challenge.
The captain has not scored a T20I half-century since last October. His numbers since then: 21 innings, 239 runs at a strike-rate of 119.5. It is unlikely that the captain or vice-
captain will be changed before the showpiece event, but a slump in their match-winning abilities doesn’t bode well for the team.
The side remains heavily dependent on Abhishek who has been having a golden run in this format. Even a tepid 118-run chase up in Dharamsala looked a bit uncertain once he departed after a rapid 18-ball 35. Quick dismissals led to unwanted pressure before Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube provided the finishing touches on Sunday.
Samson was never the right person for the lower order and the lowest he has batted apart from the top slot is at No.5, where he has scored a mere 138 runs in eight matches at an average of 23.
But each of his three T20I centuries have come as an opener in 14 innings, and in case Gill misses out on the final game, Samson would be keen to make it count.
Ahmedabad is nippy but unlike north India there is not much fog or smog, which could be a hindrance to the game.
