GUWAHATI: Rishabh Pant admitted that leading India in a one-off Test is “not the best scenario”, but the wicketkeeper-batter said he does not want to “over-think” the challenge and instead focus on combining conventional captaincy with “out-of-the-box” ideas as he prepares to debut as India’s 38th Test skipper in the second match against South Africa starting here on Saturday.
Pant will lead the side after regular captain Shubman Gill was ruled out with a neck injury.
“Definitely, one-off match is not the best scenario as a captain. But at the same time, I’m really proud that BCCI has given me this opportunity. You know, whenever you’re leading your country, it’s the proudest moment,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
As the discussion turned to his leadership style, the player from Roorkee said he wants a mix of the old and the new.
“I think being conventional also helps. And also adding that outside (out-of) the box thinking definitely works out. So, you’re going to find, for me, it’s all about finding that balance between a conventional and out-of-the-box thinking,” Pant said as he braced for a tough battle against the Proteas, who already hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
A key task, he said, would be giving players the freedom to express themselves.
“To generalise, I want to be someone who gives that freedom and I want people and players to learn around and make the right decision for the team eventually,” he explained. “That’s the real goal and obviously whatever my knowledge is, that’s going to help them on the field.”
Asked whether he could retain his free-spirited nature while taking big decisions, Pant said it was not particularly difficult.
“And for the free spirit part of the thing, see, I personally don’t think about that. I just want to give my 100 per cent in whatever I’m doing and enjoy the game,” he said emphatically.
Pant revealed that he was officially asked to take over the captaincy on Thursday night. When asked if he had spoken to Gill, he responded with a trademark cheeky line, “I speak to Gill every day,” he laughed.
‘Comebacks are tough’
Pant conceded that bouncing back in a two-match series is difficult.
“It is always good to have more matches because you can come back from it. When you have a two-match series, it’s harder because the pressure is all the more if you lose the first match. But at the same time, you know, these are the things which we can’t control as a team,” he said.
Captaincy, Pant agreed, is never a bed of roses. He faced probing questions about his tactical calls on the third day of the first Test when he stood in for an injured Gill. On a deteriorating pitch with variable bounce, he did not use Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah early on, opting instead for spinners — a phase in which Temba Bavuma scored a crucial fifty and South Africa added significant runs.
Asked if he would have handled the situation differently, Pant acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with the job.
“Going with a spinner was our thought process but there was always a chance when you can get a fast bowler in. But that’s the challenge as a captain, you want to face each and every day that you’re going to be questioned. But eventually you’re going to do what you believe is right in that given frame of mind and trust that person who has the ball will do the job for the team.”
While he did not officially confirm who will replace Gill or whether there could be another change to maintain balance, Pant clarified that players selected in the XI had been informed.
Asked if there could be a place for a right-hander given the presence of off-spinner Simon Harmer in the South African line-up, Pant said: “We have taken that in consideration because we have a lot of left-handers in the batting line-up. Mostly we have taken a decision and the person who is going to play, he already knows he’s going to play.”