'No shying away that we didn't play well': Rishabh Pant apologises to fans after South Africa whitewash
Indian stand-in captain Rishabh Pant apologised to the fans after his side's huge 408-run loss against South Africa in the second Test in Guwahati. The loss meant that India suffered a 0-2 whitewash against the Test Championship holders, their second such result in their last three home Test series, having lost 0-3 to New Zealand last year. Pant admitted that the team didn't play good cricket and will regroup as they keep their chances alive in the new WTC cycle.
"There is no shying away from the fact that we didn't play good enough cricket over the last two weeks. As a team and as individuals, we always want to perform at the highest level and bring smiles to billions of Indians. Sorry we couldn't live up to expectations this time, but sport teaches you to learn, adapt and grow - both as a team and as individuals," Pant said in a statement on Thursday, November 27, while mentioning that the team will take its learnings from the disappointing last couple of weeks.
"Representing India is the greatest honour of our lives. We know what this team is capable of and we will work hard, regroup, refocus and reset to come back stronger and better as a team & individuals. Thank you for your unwavering support and love!," Pant further said.
The uproar has been huge from all corners, as it should be, given how poor the team's performances have been in Tests at home since Gautam Gambhir took over as coach. The selection, tactics, players' performance and the inability of the batters to tackle spin at home have been various factors due to which the hosts faltered big time.
India beat the low-ranked Bangladesh and the West Indies 2-0, but failed to win a single game against either New Zealand or South Africa. In between, India had a 1-3 loss against Australia away and were able to draw England 2-2 in the five-match series earlier this year. India have a lot of soul-searching to do before their next assignment against Sri Lanka away from home.
