Former South Africa captain, Graeme Smith, shared his views on Rishabh Pant's captaincy debut in international cricket after Team India suffered a 7-wicket defeat in the first T20I against Temba Bavuma-led Proteas side at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday (June 9).

Riding on Ishan Kishan’s stunning knock of 74 runs off 48 balls, India posted a mammoth total of 211 runs on the board against South Africa. Well, it was the batters' day seemingly at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, as South Africa chased down the total in the final over at the expense of just three wickets, thanks to brilliant unbeaten fifties from Rassie van der Dussen (75*) and David Miller (64*), against India.

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Following India’s defeat, many shared their views on Pant’s captaincy, and Smith became the latest. He is impressed with the young cricketer’s game plan in his debut match as India captain.

Graeme Smith stated on Star Sports: “You always criticize a captain when you lose. He has to take a lot on his chin. Post his (Pant's) last game for Delhi Capitals, which was a must-win and he made some tough calls in that match, I was very interested to watch him. But I think tonight, he was very good. He went to the right people at the right time. He tried to stay in the game.”

He added, “When South Africa was under pressure, he went to Harshal Patel and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). All in all, he made a lot of right decisions. At times, they won't work out because your bowlers have to deliver; you have to execute. But I think he can look back and say, ‘I made the right decisions at the right time’. I think he can gain some confidence after his outing this evening.”

(HT inputs)