Pant made his debut as Test captain in Guwahati after Shubman Gill was ruled out due to neck injury.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting has backed Rishabh Pant to lead India in the series-deciding second Test against South Africa in Guwahati.
With Shubman Gill ruled out of the fixture due to neck injury, the wicketkeeper-batter made his debut as Test captain.
Ponting expects Pant to handle the pressure of captaincy effectively, citing that southpaw’s experience as IPL skipper will help him adapt to the crucial role.
Trailing 0-1 in the series, India need a win at Barsapara Cricket Stadium to avoid a home Test series defeat against South Africa.
"It's never easy to come in and fill in for someone as a stopgap captain, especially when you've just lost a Test match a few days before. Rishabh is a reasonably experienced Test match player now though as well. I think being a wicketkeeper probably helps to see the way that the game is evolving and what's happening in the game," Ponting, who has worked closely with Pant at Delhi Capitals, quoted as saying by ICC.
"He has done at IPL level now for the last few years, obviously done it in Delhi (Capitals) before that. I think he'll handle it fine," Ponting added.
The former Australian captain suggested that the transition from franchise pressures to national duties is smoother for modern players. "It will be interesting to see how he plays as captain if he changes his style of play as captain, as a batter anyway. I think he'll handle the occasion fine," Ponting said.
He also highlighted the influence of IPL on younger players. "The IPL is probably almost as big as a Test match for a lot of these guys because of the crowds and the scrutiny… modern players are a bit more ready for that… So I think Rishabh will handle it fine."
India lost the series opener in Kolkata by 30 runs, failing to chase a paltry target of 124 on a crumbling pitch. As a result, the hosts are facing a must-win situation in Guwahati.