Mon Nov 24 06:00:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Pant Lashes Out at Teammate as India Faces Over-Rate Pressure in Second Test
Guwahati, India – Stand-in India captain Rishabh Pant’s frustration boiled over on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa as India faced mounting pressure from a formidable South African batting performance and two warnings for slow over rates.
Pant, leading the team in the absence of the regular captain, was visibly angered after umpire Richard Kettleborough issued a second warning to the Indian team for violating the ICC’s new stop-clock rule, which mandates the fielding side to begin the next over within 60 seconds. The incident occurred during the 88th over, prompting Pant to publicly scold left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the delay.
“The timer is on. Are you playing at your home? Just bowl the ball quickly,” Pant was overheard saying on the stump mic. He further added, “Kuldeep, we got the second warning. Do you guys need an entire over (to move)? You guys have made Test cricket a joke.”
The outburst evoked memories of Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, known for its emphasis on maintaining discipline and alertness amongst the players. Under the new ICC regulations, teams face penalty runs for repeated over-rate breaches beyond the initial two warnings.
Meanwhile, South Africa continued to dominate proceedings at the crease. Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen forged an unbeaten 94-run partnership, with Muthusamy reaching his maiden Test century. The South African lower order’s aggressive batting pushed their total to a commanding 428/7 by lunch, leaving India with a daunting task.
Earlier in the day, Kyle Verreynne was the only South African wicket to fall in the first session. Despite the single breakthrough, India’s bowling attack struggled to contain the scoring and maintain pressure.
India remains in the contest, but the comeback path is narrowing. They need to pick up the remaining wickets quickly to keep South Africa from inching closer to a rare Test series win on Indian soil.
Summary of the Text:
Rishabh Pant, captaining India in the second Test against South Africa, showed his frustration after India received a second warning for a slow over rate. He criticized teammate Kuldeep Yadav on the field for the delay. This occurred while South Africa were building a significant lead, led by a strong partnership between Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen. The ICC’s new stop-clock rule was the cause of the warning, adding pressure on the Indian team. Despite the pressure and South Africa’s strong position, India needs to take quick wickets to stage a comeback.
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