New Delhi, Nov 27 (NationPress) Rishabh Pant, India’s wicketkeeper-batter, acknowledged that the team 'did not perform to their potential' in the recently concluded two-match Test series against South Africa and expressed his apologies to the supporters for failing to meet their expectations.

India faced a 0-2 defeat on home soil as the Proteas dominated both Tests held in Kolkata and Guwahati.

After the reigning World Test champions, South Africa, achieved their first Test victory in India since 2010 during the Kolkata Test, they secured their historic series win by handing India its largest defeat with a 408-run margin in the second Test. This marks the Proteas' second series win in India, following their 2-0 sweep in February-March 2000 under the captaincy of Hansie Cronje.

Post-defeat, the head coach and players have faced significant scrutiny. Amidst ongoing backlash from fans and analysts, Pant shared a photo on Instagram, apologizing to those who had faith in the team's success and assuring them of their commitment to regroup and improve both as a unit and as individuals.

"There is no denying that we didn’t play to our capabilities over the past two weeks. As a collective and as individuals, we continuously aspire to perform at the highest level and bring joy to billions of Indians. We apologize for not meeting expectations this time, but sports teach us to learn, adapt, and evolve - both collectively and individually.

"Representing India is the utmost privilege of our lives. We understand our team’s potential, and we will exert ourselves to regroup, refocus, and come back stronger and more capable as a team and individuals. Thank you for your steadfast support and love! Jai Hind," Pant expressed.

Pant assumed the captaincy for the second Test after regular skipper Shubman Gill was sidelined due to a neck injury. While some of his captaincy decisions received praise, he faced criticism regarding his personal performance with the bat following the team’s loss.

Shouldering the blame and expressing regret over the series loss, Pant stated during the presentation ceremony after the match at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium, “It’s quite disheartening. As a team, we need improvement. Credit to the opposition — they were the superior side throughout the series. We needed to be focused in our approach. Cricket demands that we capitalize as a team, and we didn’t do that, which cost us the entire series.”