Rishabh Pant and his comments from behind the stumps never get old in cricket. In place of injured Shubman Gill, Pant has been doing the captaincy work. After MS Dhoni, he is the first keeper-batter to lead India.

On Day 2 of the India vs South Africa 2nd Test at the Barsapara stadium in Guwahati, South African all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy hit a hundred. His innings was blended with technique and resilience. Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne started Day 2 on a low gear. Without making any hurry, both of the batters paid their focus on creating a castle by adding bricks one by one.

The slow-moving innings might have made Rishabh Pant frustrated. Marco Jansen walked into the middle as Verreynne departed for 45 off 122. The combination of Jansen and Muthusamy provided South Africa the scope to rotate runs in a more aggressive way. Jansen's intention was clear: take the aerial route and send the ball over the boundary line. On the other side, Muthusamy was cold like ice.

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Rishabh said, 'Use Marne De' indicating Muthusamy

Rishabh Pant said that "Marne se isko" and the next ball Senuran Muthusamy hit six.

- Rishabh Pant is letting the #spirit of test cricket go down.

- He isn't a promising captain and his captaincy could hurt team India.#INDvsSA #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/3vJK6hEOwq

— Ayush¹ (@Rahulity1) November 23, 2025

When he was batting on 68 during an over of Washington Sundar, Pant, from behind the stumps, said, "Marne de isko (Let him hit)." On that delivery, which was pitched full and outside the off-stump, the left-handed batter really hit the ball for a maximum. Keepers often make remarks from behind the stumps to disturb the batter's mindset. Pant said those words with the intention to do so. But in reality, it turned out to be a boomerang. The ball sailed over the long-on area and put more pressure on Rishabh Pant and Team India. 

"First real aggressive shot from Muthusamy," Ravi Shastri said from the commentary box. At the end of the day, South Africa registered 489 in their first innings for 10 wickets. Senuran Muthusamy played a 206-ball, 109-run innings, powered by ten 4s and two 6s. Jansen lost his ton for only 7 runs.

South Africa has suffered a major setback before the second and final Test against Zimbabwe, as acting captain Keshav Maharaj is ruled out with a left groin strain. Maharaj suffered the injury while batting on Day 3 of the opening Test, a game in which he performed magnificently in the absence of regular captain Temba Bavuma. In Maharaj's departure for home for additional medical evaluation, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has been entrusted with the captaincy for the next encounter in Bulawayo, which will commence on July 6.

The timing is bad for Maharaj, who was playing his first Test as captain. He was impressive in the opening game of the series, taking four wickets with his left-arm spin and contributing a crucial half-century in the second innings. His captaincy and overall performance were instrumental in South Africa's dominant 328-run victory in the first Test.

Mulder Steps Up as Proteas Look to Build on Dominant Start

Mulder, relatively inexperienced as a captain, was one of Harare's top performers. He made a career-high 147 and took four wickets, confirming his status as a potential leader. It will be his first experience of captaining a team in red-ball cricket, but the Proteas camp has no doubts he will rise to the challenge.

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To compensate for Maharaj's unavailability, South Africa has brought in left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy, who has played four Tests and is likely to play a key part in Bulawayo. In another change, pacer Lungi Ngidi, who was on his way to join the team before the second Test, has been released. The decision is meant to provide more game time for promising quicks Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka, and Corbin Bosch, all of whom performed impressively in the first Test.

Even with the reshuffle, South Africa will be looking for a whitewash in the two-match series. The first Test had indicated the depth of their squad, with emerging talents such as Lhuan-dré Pretorius and Bosch delivering when it mattered most. With Mulder leading the attack now, the Proteas will be looking to keep up the momentum and conclude the series on a positive note.