Shubman Gill was seen without a neck brace on landing in Guwahati on Wednesday afternoon which is assumed to be a positive sign ahead of the second Test from Saturday.

The Team India captain is recovering from neck spasms suffered during batting in the first innings against South Africa at Eden Gardens. He remained retired not out on 4 and didn’t take any further part in the Test which India lost by 30 runs.

The team management is optimistic of his playing the second Test.

“He was kept under observation and discharged the next day. Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati,” the BCCI said in a press release on Wednesday morning.

“He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team and a decision on his participation in the 2nd Test will be taken accordingly,” the statement read.

Gill did not travel with the players in the team bus and arrived at the Dumdum airport in a separate car with the team physio. He, however, had the neck brace on during his departure from Calcutta.

He spent a night in the intensive care unit of a Calcutta hospital as a precautionary measure and underwent an MRI scan and other tests.

It is understood that doctors have advised him against playing the Guwahati Test since it could aggravate his injury but the BCCI medical team will take a final call. He is not fully fit as the pain still persists.

The 26-year-old has been playing all the three formats on a consistent basis. He was announced as deputy for T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav for the Asia Cup in the UAE after the England tour. There was little rest for him as he then led India in the two-match West Indies Test series in October.

He then took over as ODI captain from Rohit Sharma and led in the three-match series in Australia before participating in the T20Is.

“I think in 4-5 days’ of turnaround, coming from another country and playing different formats is not easy. It’s mentally more challenging. There’s a good amount of time difference between India and Australia. So, the body takes a bit of time to get used to it,” Gill said on the eve of the Calcutta Test.

Another week’s rest would have been ideal, but with the series on the line, Gill may be forced to take a desperate call. Rishabh Pant will be the stand-in captain if Gill is forced to sit out.