WATCH: Shubman Gill retires hurt with likely sprained neck on Day 2 of first Test vs South Africa

The Indian cricket team is currently hosting the World Test Champions, South Africa in a multi-format series comprising of two Tests, three ODIs and as many as five T20I matches. The series commenced on Friday, November 14 with the first Test, currently being played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. For the unversed, Temba Bavuma-led South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first.

The Protean side put up 159 runs in 55 overs with Aiden Markran to scoring with a 48-ball 31. For India, pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the wrecker-in-chief, picking his 16th five-wicket haul. After bundling out the Protea men’s side, the Men in Blue took the crease and have posted 138 runs at the loss of four wickets at lunch on Day 2 with Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv

Jurel in the middle.

Shubman Gill walks off the field after hurting his neck in first session of Day 2

While KL Rahul and Washington Sundar looked good in the middle at the start of the day, but a sharp catch by Markram off Simon Harmer’s delivery got South Africa a crucial breakthrough, followed by Keshav Maharaj dismissing KL Rahul thereafter. During the day’s play, Shubman Gill joined KL Rahul in the middle after Sundar’s wicket, but was forced to walk off the field retired hurt with a reported stiff neck.

The incident took place in the 35^th over of India’s first innings. After Gill smashed Harmer for a boundary over backward square on the fifth ball of the over, he was spotted clutching to his neck in pain. While the physio ran in to check on him, he eventually made his way off the field, getting retired hurt and Rishabh Pant walked out to bat.

India vs South Africa 1st Test Playing XI

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj