India's stand-in captain Rishabh Pant had the bulk of the responsibility on his shoulders after the hosts got in a spot of bother on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. The morning session saw India lose the wickets of KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Dhruv Jurel, and hence it all boiled down to Pant, if the hosts were to get close to the Proteas' first innings score of 489.
However, the left-handed batter threw his wicket away immediately after the start of play in the second session, after the tea break. Marco Jansen and the rest of the South African lineup were cock-a-hoop after taking the fifth Indian wicket and sending the 28-year-old back to the pavilion.
Speaking of the dismissal, India's stand-in captain, in the absence of Shubman Gill, played a horrible shot, bringing back the memories of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Sunil Gavaskar came up with the “stupid, stupid, stupid” rant after the left-hander threw his wicket away against Australia.
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Returning to the game against South Africa, off the bowling of Jansen, Pant danced down the track looking for a big slog, and he only managed to nick it to the keeper, Kyle Verreynne. The on-field umpire raised his finger, but Pant decided to review the decision, only to be proved wrong.
{{/usCountry}}Returning to the game against South Africa, off the bowling of Jansen, Pant danced down the track looking for a big slog, and he only managed to nick it to the keeper, Kyle Verreynne. The on-field umpire raised his finger, but Pant decided to review the decision, only to be proved wrong.
{{/usCountry}}Pant himself looked shellshocked with his shot selection, and he just headed back to the pavilion in utter disbelief.
With this catch, Verreynne also became just the fifth South African wicketkeeper to get to 100 dismissals in Test cricket, after Mark Boucher (553), Quinton de Kock (232), David Richardson (152) and John Waite (141).
Steyn reacts
Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn also reacted to Pant's dismissal, saying the batter played a “brainfade” shot.
“That is just a brainfade shot,” Steyn wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Pant lasted just eight balls in the middle, scoring seven runs, with the help of one six. India started off their innings well, as opening batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul put on 65 runs for the opening wicket.
The stand was broken by Keshav Maharaj as he sent Rahul (22) back to the pavilion in the 22nd over. Jaiswal got to a half-century, but his dismissal on 58 triggered a collapse as the left-hander, along with Sudharsan and Jurel, went back to the hut in quick succession.
Earlier, South Africa posted 489 runs on the board after opting to bat first, as Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen played knocks of 109 and 93, respectively.