Rishabh Pant was at the centre of India’s effort on Day 1 of the second Test in Guwahati, not just as wicketkeeper but as the stand-in captain guiding the bowling attack through a demanding opening day. With Shubman Gill ruled out due to a neck spasm, Pant took charge, and his constant communication from behind the stumps became one of the main talking points as South Africa navigated the day to reach a strong position. A series of stump-mic moments featuring Pant and Kuldeep Yadav went viral during the first two sessions, highlighting how actively he tried to lift his bowlers and set the tone. His encouragement began early with, “badhiya KD, good start hai yeh,” (Very good KD. This is a good start), followed soon after by, “Come on, come on bhai, body language yaar, upar rakhenge bhai” (Keep up the body language).
At another point he urged the left-arm wrist-spinner with, “oye yaar KD, aise daalega toh phir wicket mil jaaeyga yaar,” (If you keep bowling like this, you’ll get a wicket) and later reminded the fielders, “chalo chalo bhaiyo, kud mahol banana padega” (We’ll have to set the tone ourselves). The constant instructions, praise and reminders underlined India’s desire to maintain intensity during long passages of play without many breakthroughs. South Africa, who chose to bat first after winning the toss, reached 156 for 2 at lunch, losing openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton just before and after tea. At the break, Stubbs was unbeaten on 32 off 82 balls, while Bavuma — who later reached a personal milestone in the second session — was on 36 off 86.Watch Rishabh Pant’s viral stump mic moments here Pant’s animated presence stood with his approach coming into the match. Speaking on the eve of his first Test as full-time stand-in captain, he had acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with leadership. “That’s the challenge of being a captain… you’re going to do what you believe is right and trust that the person who has the ball will do the job for the team,” Pant said ahead of the game. He also pointed out the need to balance instinct and calmness during long formats.
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“I just want to give my 100 percent at whatever I’m doing… my aim is to be a combination of the conventional and out-of-the-box,” he added. As Day 1 progressed with South Africa looking solid, Pant’s energy and communication remained one of India’s most visible features – a glimpse of how he intends to shape his leadership over the remainder of the match.
