GUWAHATI — Rishabh Pant will captain India in the second Test against South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium beginning Saturday, stepping in after regular skipper Shubman Gill was sidelined with a neck injury sustained during the first Test in Kolkata.
Pant confirmed the leadership change at Friday’s pre-match press conference, saying Gill was eager to play despite discomfort. “Shubman was keen to play the match. He showed resilience even when his body was not permitting. We have taken a decision on who will play in the playing eleven in place of Shubman. The person who will play in the match knows he is playing,” Pant said.
Gill, who traveled with the team to Guwahati, is expected to be released from the squad to rest and seek specialist consultation in Mumbai to determine his recovery plan. His availability for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, beginning November 30, is now in serious doubt.
Pant will become India’s 38th Test captain and only the second wicketkeeper-batter after MS Dhoni to lead the side in the format. He will also be India’s seventh Test captain in five years, tasked with securing a series-leveling victory as Guwahati hosts its first-ever Test following India’s 30-run defeat at Eden Gardens.
“I don’t want to overthink,” Pant said. “We had a tough first Test and we need to do whatever is required to win the Test. A one-off match is not the best scenario for a captain, but I am thankful to the BCCI for giving me this honour.”
Pant added that he intends to balance conventional decision-making with innovative thinking. “Sometimes if you think too much about big occasions, it doesn’t help. I want to be conventional and also blend it with out-of-box thinking. I want to have a nice balance and blend both when captaining,” he said. (Source: IANS)
