The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
In a moment of poor judgment, Pant tapped the ball towards Ben Stokes at cover and set off for a non-existent single-only to be run out, leaving India at 248 for 5.
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stood tall, not with fireworks, but with grit and grace, forging a 174-run stand that reminded fans of the game's old soul - and drew admiration from the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Rishabh Pant back in full flow as India step up nets ahead of SA opening Test
It was also his third hundred in the last seven innings after going past three digits against Australia A at Lucknow and the West Indies at Ahmedabad.
Simon Harmer picked up four wickets as South Africa staged an incredible fightback to shock India by 30 runs in a low-scoring first Test match.
Australia's stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh continued his fine run of form on Sunday, scoring 46 not out and leading his side to a seven-wicket triumph over India in the weather-affected first one-day international at Perth Stadium.
India great Virat Kohli continued his push to regain his place as the best ODI batter while moving up to the second spot in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
It is now-or-never for the now senior-most superstar batter to produce an all-timer series that justifies his talent.
'If you stay humble, put your heart in the right place, train hard, and let your bat talk, God finds ways to bless you.'
'...it will be interesting to see what happens in the final World Cup squad. Definitely, he has made a strong case for himself. It's good he's in great nick and hopefully he can carry it forward'
Padikkal's fourth VHT ton this season powers Karnataka to big win vs Tripura
Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and speedster Shardul Thakur were back in the 17-member India squad for the six-match ODI series in South Africa but KL Rahul failed to make the cut despite back-to-back half- centuries in the T20 series against Sri Lanka.
Opener KL Rahul feels that had another six overs been available, India could have won the first Test against Sri Lanka, which ended in a draw after a riveting final day.
Delhi Capitals' head coach Hemang Badani said they want to move towards a younger and more aggressive option aligned with the team's style of play.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
The 26 year old rued the dropped catches, which ultimately cost India the match and the series.
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan looked visibly upset, venting out his anger on reserved opener KL Rahul on day 3 of the 4th Test at Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi. Birthday boy Dhawan played an important hand before lunch. The incident unfolded when Dhawan was hit on the forearm by a rising delivery from Imran Tahir.
Abhimanyu Easwaran made the future path all the more tough with his second duck of the match, while Sai Sudharsan concluded his lukewarm preparation for the South Africa Test series with an underwhelming 23 off 38 balls.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
Rishabh Pant's wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi's chase began to collapse
The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
Former World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh led the accolades, hailing the team's 'serious temperament' and singling out the standout performers who defied the odds.
Kohli is struggling for big runs of late and his last Test century was against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
Assessing Sai Sudharsan's temperament and Nitish Kumar Reddy's utility in home conditions would be topmost on India's checklist when the high-on-confidence hosts take on a floundering West Indies
This happened following India's practice session that saw both India's senior batters hit the nets at the Optus Stadium.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Monday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Friday
Mumbai recovered from a batting collapse to take a 136-run lead over Karnataka on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
As Day 4 unfolds in the closely contested match, all eyes are on KL Rahul, whose performance could be pivotal in shaping the outcome.
Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 and didn't look comfortable at all against pace and bounce, which wasn't exactly 125 clicks.
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Ben Stokes, the man who had earlier lit up the field with a sensational century, didn't bowl a single over.
In a series finale defined by pressure and fine margins, the Indian dressing room found its anchor in an unexpected source - the Shri Shiva Rudrashtakam.
Kohli's support is a massive confidence booster: KL Rahul
Kaif also questioned Gill's tactical choices on debut, especially the call to leave out Kuldeep -- a bowler capable of turning games in Australia's own backyard.
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