"Will definitely get inputs from captain and coach" - Cheteshwar Pujara backs Rishabh Pant after rash dismissal in 2nd India vs South Africa Test

Cheteshwar Pujara has backed Rishabh Pant to improve, make changes to his game and polish his shot selection after the wicketkeeper-batter's much-criticized three-ball duck on Thursday. Pujara said Pant will receive pertinent inputs from Team India's head coach and captain after "every match and every innings."

Pant came to bat at a crucial moment on Day 3 of the second India-South Africa Test in Johannesburg. The visitors were 163-4, just 136 runs in lead. The southpaw was convincingly beaten on the first two balls. Then, in an apparent attempt to put the pressure back on Kagiso Rabada, he charged down the track and went cross-batted against a short ball. But Pant only got a thick outside edge to the wicketkeeper.

Pujara, who got out just a couple of overs before that, expressed confidence that Pant would learn from his mistakes and only get better with experience.

In this regard, Pujara said:

"Although he couldn't score runs in this match, Rishabh has done well for us in the past. Everyone knows his game, he plays quite positively. He's a young player and will learn what changes he could make in his game, what shots to play and not to play from such innings. He'll definitely get those inputs from the captain and the coach after every match and every innings. As he moves forward, I think he'll improve as a player."

Pant was chastised for his shot selection and situational awareness, some of it fair and some of it quite overboard. Legend Sunil Gavaskar also slammed the 25-year-old for not showing responsibility, saying there can't be any "nonsense about that being his natural game".

Pant hasn't been in the best of forms of late and he'll certainly feel the pressure of scoring some runs in the third Test, irrespective of the result of this game.

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"They'll always get something back" - Cheteshwar Pujara opens on heated exchanges

Asked about the heated moments between the two teams at the Wanderers on Wednesday, Pujara said the visitors are a "confident unit" who don't shy away from giving it back to the opposition. He even expressed hope that such team spirit will help India win the World Test Championship.

Pujara added:

"We are a confident unit. We stick together, we have won overseas together. So whenever there's a battle, all the guys are charged up. They love the battle on the field. And whenever there's someone who goes after our players, they'll always get something back. Yeah, we enjoy the battle on the field and I think cricket has to be competitive and that's what we try and work on. We'll stick to what we have done, there's a great team spirit and even going forward, this will continue and I hope that over a period of time, this will help us win the next WTC final."

The hosts, chasing 240, went to stumps at 118-2, with Dean Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen amid a 25-run partnership. Proceedings will resume at 1:30 IST on Thursday.