India captain Shubman Gill has been all but ruled out of the Guwahati Test, and while that's a setback in itself, India's real problem sits a layer deeper. With Gill unavailable, the think tank is left to choose between Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan.

On paper, Sudharsan appears the frontrunner; after all, he has already worn the Test cap while Padikkal is still waiting for his debut. But here's the twist: the issue isn't about experience. It's about perspective, the left-handed one. India already have five left-handers in their projected XI, and adding either Padikkal or Sudharsan pushes that number to six. And that's where Simon Harmer, South Africa's wily off-spinner, enters the conversation with a grin.

Harmer has just scripted history in Kolkata , returning the best figures by

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