India national cricket team’s star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the Test captain for the second match of the series against the South Africa national cricket team.
The development comes after original Test captain Shubman Gill was ruled out of the match against the Proteas due to a neck injury during the first game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Rishabh Pant will become India’s 38th Test captain
India lost the first match of the Test series against the Proteas by 30 runs and the second match of the series is scheduled to start from November 22 in Guwahati.
A new captain in the form of Rishabh Pant will lead Team India in the crucial match and the wicketkeeper-batsman will become the 38th captain of India in Test cricket history.
He will lead India for the first time in Test cricket at the venue where he started his ODI career. Notably, Guwahati will host a Test match for the first time and will become India’s 30th Test venue.
The change in captaincy has happened due to the injury suffered by Shubman Gill during the first test. The Indian Test captain suffered a neck injury in Kolkata and on the second day of the Test match, Gill retired hurt after facing three balls, holding the back of his neck.
His injury was more serious than it initially appeared, as he was dragged from the venue and admitted to hospital. He was also seen wearing a neck brace and the BCCI announced that the captain would be unable to participate in the remaining Test matches.
Later, he was discharged from the hospital and advised rest by the medical team, and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had updated that he wants Gill to take his time before his return so that his neck problems do not flare up again.
He is doing well, getting better – Rishabh Pant on Shubman Gill
In an official media release, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed that Shubman Gill traveled to Guwahati but did not regain full fitness and will travel to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant attended the pre-match press conference, where he said that Gill was keen to play the match but was not able to recover. He elaborated (as quoted by Cricbuzz):
“He is doing well, getting better. He was very keen to play this Test. I just got to know yesterday that I will be leading in this Test… I am talking to Gill every day.”
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One-off match is not the best scenario – Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant, being very bold as always, said that being the captain for a one-time match is not the best situation, but he thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for giving him the opportunity.
He said that he does not want to think too much and after the poor performance in the first Test, he will do everything possible to win the second game.
On captaining India in the second Test against South Africa, Rishabh Pant was quoted by PTI as saying, “One-time match is not the best situation for a captain, but I am grateful to the BCCI for giving me this honour. Sometimes if you think too much about the big occasion, it does not help.”
“Don’t want to think too much. The first Test was tough for us and we need to do whatever is necessary to win the Test.”
