Rishabh Pant is set to lead India in the second Test versus South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, starting on Saturday, November 22, after Shubman Gill was ruled out of the series decider due to his neck injury. He served as the acting captain in the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, after Shubman batted only three balls in India's first innings and left the field injured. The World Test Champions won the match by 30 runs.
Legendary former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said that it is not easy for a stopgap captain to lead a team that has recently lost a Test match. However, he backed the experienced wicketkeeper-batter to excel in the role.
Pant recently led India A in the two unofficial Tests against South Africa A in Bengaluru. The series ended in a 1-1 stalemate.