Things didn’t go well for Rishabh Pant in the second Test against South Africa. The stand-in captain had a match to forget at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Angry fans took to social media calling him a ‘burden’ on the team.
Pant was handling double duty as both captain and wicketkeeper in this crucial match. Everyone expected him to step up and lead from the front. Instead, his bat stayed silent when India needed big runs from their senior players.
Pant’s Batting Struggles Hurt India Badly
Rishabh Pant walked in with hopes for India. He only scored 13 runs before throwing his wicket away. This was another failure for him during this Test series.
South Africa had already put up a target of 549 runs on the board. India started their chase poorly and lost 2 wickets on just 27 runs. The situation looked grim right from the start of the final day.
Dhruv Jurel couldn’t do much and got out after making just 2 runs. Kuldeep Yadav walked back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers much either. When Pant got dismissed, India had 58/5.
South Africa Dominates with Harmer Leading Attack
Simon Harmer bowled brilliantly for SA and grabbed 3 important wickets on the final day. His spinning skills troubled the Indian batsmen throughout their difficult innings. The visitors maintained complete control over the match from start to finish.
India needed to bat out the remaining overs to do a draw somehow. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar tried their best at the crease together. The team was stuck at 100/6.
The target of 549 runs was never really achievable for the struggling Indian team. Only a draw or South African victory looked possible at that point.
Fans Question Pant’s Leadership and Performance
Social media erupted with angry reactions from disappointed Indian cricket fans everywhere. Many questioned whether Pant deserved his place in the Test team anymore. Some fans even called him a ‘burden’ on the squad harshly.
One frustrated fan pointed out his terrible series average of just 12.25 runs. His position as both wicketkeeper and leader came under serious scrutiny. Fans want to see better performances from senior players in important matches.
