Pant's biggest test: Wicket-keeper batter to lead India against South Africa in second Test

GUWAHATI: Rishabh Pant will walk into an immensely challenging leadership exam in the absence of Shubman Gill as India face the uphill task of restoring parity against a well-prepared South Africa on a surface that is expected to offer appreciable turn in the second and final Test starting here on Saturday.

An even tougher test looms for head coach Gautam Gambhir, whose often perplexing calls have left the dressing room and think-tank grappling for clarity.

The aura of invincibility while playing at home that accompanied the Indian teams of last three decades has vanished when it comes to the current one, which is looking vulnerable.

For the first time in many years, India is going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.

If the New Zealand spin duo of Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner tore the perception of invincibility to shreds in 2024, Simon Harmer and his other colleagues are making a young Indian side look even more vulnerable.

The lack of a proper technique to handle spinners is apparent and jarring.

Add to it, a massive shift in mindset on tracks that implode, has made matters worse.

While Gambhir, with support of men who matter in the BCCI, is perfectly safe when it comes to his job but a 0-5 home record against two SENA countries will damage his coaching legacy forever and no amount of ICC Trophies would be enough to paper over that aspect.

And in these trying circumstances, Pant will take up leadership in the absence of Gill. He would know quite well that his batting on a red soil Barsapara track will be as important as his decision-making.

Sai Sudharsan looks to be the most likely candidate to take Gill's place although whether he bats at No 3 or Washington Sundar is allowed to continue remains to be seen.

When it comes to captaincy experience, Pant led an Indian T20 team against the same opponents few years back when Rohit Sharma was rested.

But there isn't enough data on his red-ball decision-making skills.

Pant did lead a Delhi side to a Ranji Trophy final back in 2017 losing to eventual champions Vidarbha.

With too many left-handers in the line-up, as many as seven, off-spinner Simon Harmer might just have a field day if the covering of grass that was seen on the track on Thursday, is shaved off by BCCI curators Taposh Chatterjee and Ashish Bhowmick.

In any case, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia wouldn't want this venue's first ever Test to be remembered for all the wrong reasons.