The Indian team has put in a disappointing performance in both departments, with Rishabh Pant as test captain in the ongoing Test against South Africa in Guwahati. Pant is the stand-in captain in the absence of Shubman Gill, who is still recovering from a neck injury.

Disappointing Day 3

The Indian bowling unit failed badly, as the Proteas posted a colossal 489-run total, with Kuldeep Yadav picking four wickets. In response, the batters crumbled under pressure and were all out for 201, giving a big 288-run lead to the visitors. Let’s take a look at what transpired on India vs South Africa 2nd Test Day 3 in the Guwahati test. In particular, let’s focus on Pant’s irresponsible dismissal.

Rishabh Pant Fails to Arrest India’s Slide with a Careless Approach

The second day of the fixture witnessed South Africa returning with terrific batting performances, with Senuran Muthusamy (109) and Marco Jansen (93) as the top contributors. Thereafter, India got off to an impressive start with their opening duo, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Both were building a steady partnership while scoring odd boundaries. However, Keshav Maharaj brought an end to the blossoming 65-run stand by dismissing Rahul (22). Although Jaiswal (58) played a stellar knock, he failed to convert it into a big score. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan (15) and Dhruv Jurel (0) were the next wickets to fall, as the hosts were reeling at 102/4.

Pant departs soon after Tea

India continue to stumble in Guwahati 😬#rishabhpant #indvssa #IndianCricket #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/LVEKsEO4AR

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 24, 2025

At this point, the Indian batters needed to build a substantial partnership to revive the team’s innings and put the opposition under pressure. Skipper Rishabh Pant got off the mark by hitting a six against Simon Harmer in a confident manner. In only the eighth ball of the second session, Pant danced down the track for a cross-batted hoick against tall pacer, Marco Jansen. Jansen was smart to pitch the ball short as it took the edge of the 28-year-old’s bat. Pant completely misjudged the ball’s length, and it could only result in a one-handed, reckless shot. Although he took a review, the UltraEdge showed a spike, cutting short his innings to seven off eight balls.

Pant dismissed for 7 runs. pic.twitter.com/dYx1xs3cxT

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 24, 2025

A little maturity was expected from Rishabh Pant as Test captain, as his counter-attacking style has had major flaws in execution in the past. The left-hander could have survived crucial spells to tire out the bowlers and then would have unleashed his wrath to inject confidence into the Indian team. Pant’s dismissal piled misery on India, as they were eventually bundled out for 201. Jansen scalped six wickets and was South Africa’s wrecker-in-chief. Former cricketers like Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn expressed their disappointment with Rishabh Pant’s dismissal in the India vs South Africa 2nd Test Day 3 of the Guwahati Test.

Thoughts on Rishabh Pant’s dismissal? #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/huKyZU5Acu

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 24, 2025

As per Kumble, the southpaw needed to hang in there for a couple of overs before trying to play an animated shot. Meanwhile, Steyn termed it a brainfade shot. The fans on social media echoed a similar thought of how Rishabh Pant could have better handled the responsibility of carrying the team’s hopes. Most of them criticised the keeper for having no awareness of the match situation and playing a risky shot at a critical juncture.

India on Brink of Another Shocking Clean Sweep

Rishabh Pant as Test captain will be crucial in the last two days, as India are close to conceding a clean sweep against South Africa. Last year, India suffered a horrific 3-0 loss against New Zealand on home soil, which raised major alarms about the insecurities in the Test team. The India vs South Africa 2nd Test Day 3 was a flashback to the New Zealand series, as the hosts are already down 1-0 in the two-match series. The key aspects which Pant overlooked in the first innings were the better use of his bowlers.

Related Article：After Yet Another India Batting Collapse, Should We Really Be Pointing Fingers Only at Gambhir?

New Zealand beats India by 25 Runs to Whitewashe By 3-0 💔 pic.twitter.com/niDEhQUHG5

— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) November 3, 2024

For example, he was criticised for not handing the ball to Nitish Kumar Reddy on the second day, after the all-rounder didn’t come into the attack after bowling four overs at the start. Despite the other bowlers struggling, a change could have brought a breakthrough for the Indian team. Moreover, after the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian spin unit doesn’t look lethal and has underperformed, especially in the ongoing fixture.

It’s been a tough start for the Indian Test team under Gautam Gambhir. pic.twitter.com/5HyniNmWjA

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 17, 2025

If the Guwahati test doesn’t end up in favour of India, it will have major repercussions on their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings. With four wins in eight games, they are already in fourth position, and a whitewash on home soil would make it tougher for them to reach the final. The fans have also been disappointed with India’s performances in the longest format on home soil under head coach Gautam Gambhir. They have questioned the team’s batting technique on spinning tracks, despite requesting rank turners.