India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant is facing a challenging situation as India’s Test Team has crumbled badly in the two-match series against South Africa. Pant is leading the team in absence of Shubman Gill who has been ruled out due to severe spasm in neck. Rishabh Pant has not only struggled with bat but also come under fire for his tactical decisions which completely backfired.
Cricket experts raised questions over his field placements and demeanor on Day 4 of Guwahati Test. Following this, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also expressed his disappointment. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) and is hoping for India to bounce back even though the chances look very bleak.
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“I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language,” Ashwin wrote on X.
I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language 💔. #indvsa pic.twitter.com/Iui9dSsQTD
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 25, 2025
The Guwahati Test was Rishabh Pant’s first outing as captain for India in Test cricket. In the first innings, he was dismissed quickly by Marco Jansen while he was attempting to play an ambitious shot despite knowing that India has lost early wickets. Following this, India was bundled out at the score of 201 while the Proteas remained in the drivers seat.
