There's constant monitoring of injured players, but in Tests you can't take risk: Gill

GALLE: India skipper Shubman Gill said the team management is keeping track of players who have been recuperating from injuries at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, but, at times, risk-avoiding calls needed to be taken in the best interests of the team and the cricketer himself.

Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah (knee injury) and top-order batter Sai Sudharsan (toe niggle) were initially included in the squad to tour Sri Lanka before ruling them out.

“Yes, we are in touch with them. There is constant monitoring on players and where they are (in terms of fitness),” Gill said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test here.

Gill then detailed the fitness scenario of Sudharsan.

“Sai’s case was quite unfortunate. It looked like he would be able to be a part of the series. But we did constant scans and he wasn't improving as much as we would have liked or expected him to be.

“So, sometimes you have to take a call from the player's point of view as to whether you want to take that risk.”

The decision, Gill said, was arrived at considering the duration of the Test match.

“The Test match is for 5 days. If it's one-day or T20, then it's a different story. But in the Test match, you don't want to take a risk. I feel that in the Test match, you have more opportunities with other players (to come back).

“For example, if you don't play well on the first day, you get another chance. So, the players have more chances to come back. So, keeping that in mind, we were a little disappointed (with Sai and Bumrah).

“But it didn't affect the morale of the team that much that they didn't get the first 11. I feel that whoever is in our 15 or whoever we give a chance in our playing 11 in any condition, they can play well and win the game,” he explained.

Similarly, India go into the Test series with just one all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja after the likes of Washington Sundar is still recovering from injuries.

Gill hoped that young players like Manav Suthar will be able to contribute if it comes to that.

“I think that's where someone like Manav coming in. He's got the ability with the bat. Of course, you need a bit of experience, you need some belief and confidence and that will only come once you're out there playing, when you score some runs.

“And hopefully he does that in the series. He's someone with a great skill with bowling. And he's got the potential to be able to be a really good number 8 batsman as well,” said Gill.

However, the 26-year-old believed that the team had good preparation preceding the Test series.

A few players were part of the India A matches last month while many frontline players did get a chance to experience the local conditions during a match against SLC XI last week.

“If the scheduling allows us to have at least a week or 10 days before the Test match starts, it obviously helps with the preparation. Even last year we had a quite busy schedule — playing in England and then playing in the Asia Cup, then playing a Test match in India.

“So, it's never easy for the players to be able to adapt. And most of the players in this team, I think, require a bit of time to adjust with the conditions. It's not like a lot of the players have a lot of matches or a lot of experience under their belts. So, the extra time in preparation definitely helps,” he noted.