Rishabh Pant's first taste of Test Captaincy turned sour on Day 2 of the Second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, where India failed to snag a single wicket in the morning session as the Proteas batsmen feasted. With Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar all leaking runs without reward, Pant cycled through every option in his arsenal – except one glaring omission that left fans and experts fuming. The young skipper stubbornly refused to toss the ball to Nitish Kumar Reddy, the pace-bowling all-rounder specifically picked for such breakthroughs, even as a stubborn 88-run stand between Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne pushed South Africa past 300.

Nitish, who had already bowled a tidy four overs on Day 1 – conceding just one boundary after an early blemish – sat idle on the sidelines all morning, rendering his inclusion in the XI pointless from a bowling standpoint. Pant's decision to lean solely on his frontline attack, despite their evident fatigue and ineffectiveness on the flat Barsapara pitch, amplified India's woes as the visitors consolidated without fear. By lunch, South Africa had surged to a daunting 428 for 7, with Muthusamy notching his maiden Test century in stoic fashion, leaving Pant's tactical nous under intense scrutiny in his debut leadership outing.

Former India stumper Dinesh Karthik didn't mince words on live TV, roasting Pant's oversight with pointed precision. "The one bowler they've completely forgotten is Nitish Kumar Reddy – he's in the side to roll his arm over and provide those crucial change-up overs," Karthik remarked during commentary, highlighting how the youngster's fresh energy could have disrupted the rhythm. Karthik praised Nitish's economical Day 1 stint but lamented the lack of trust, adding fuel to the growing narrative that Pant's aggressive instincts, while thrilling, sometimes border on recklessness in the captaincy hot seat.

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Muthusamy, the Proteas' own all-round gem, showcased masterclass patience to reach 107 not out from 203 balls, anchoring a vital recovery after early jolts. His partnership with the explosive Marco Jansen then exploded into life, adding a brisk 94 for the eighth wicket as Jansen bludgeoned four sixes off Kuldeep (3/110) and Jadeja (2/78). Only Bumrah offered fleeting hope with his tireless 28 overs for 1/63, briefly coaxing reverse swing, but even he wilted under the barrage of boundaries and Siraj's erratic bouncers.

This tactical misstep has piled pressure on Pant and a depleted India, already trailing 0-1 after the Kolkata debacle, as they chase series-leveling glory on home soil. With Guwahati's debut Test hanging in the balance, the call to bench Nitish's bowling talents feels like a costly gamble – one that could haunt the hosts if South Africa's mammoth total proves insurmountable.

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