Amidst a growing spate of inuries, Indian captain Shubman Gill said the team management is keeping track of players who have been recuperating at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, 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 being ruled out.
“Yes, we’re in touch with them. There’s 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 in Galle.
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’ve liked or expected him to be.
“So, sometimes you’ve 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’ve 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’s 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.
The two-Test series starts in Galle on Saturday. Second Test will begin in Colombo from August 23.