New Delhi [India], November 21 (ANI): Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes Rishabh Pant's experience as a wicketkeeper-batter will help him lead India in the deciding Test against South Africa in Guwahati. Pant is set to take over the captaincy after India's 30-run defeat in the opening Test at Eden Gardens. With Shubman Gill not playing due to injury, Pant faces a crucial task to level the series.

Ponting, who has worked with Pant in the IPL, said that stepping in as a stand-in captain after a recent Test loss is challenging, but Pant's experience as a wicketkeeper helps him read the game and handle evolving match situations.

'It's never easy to come in and fill in for someone as a stopgap captain, especially when you've just lost a Test match a few days before. Rishabh is a reasonably experienced Test match player now though as well. I think being a wicket keeper probably helps to see the way that the game is evolving and what's happening in the game,' Ponting said as quoted by ICC.

'He has done at IPL level now for the last few years, obviously done it in Delhi (Capitals) before that. I think he'll handle it fine,' he added.

Pant and Ponting shared a captain-coach relationship in the Delhi Capitals franchise before the former moved on to Lucknow Super Giants and the latter to Punjab Kings.

Though Pant has abundant experience of leading teams in white-ball cricket, this will be the first time the 28-year-old will be donning the captain's hat for the Test side.

'It will be interesting to see how he plays as captain if he changes his style of play as captain, as a batter anyway. I think he'll handle the occasion fine. I think the one thing that's probably not spoken about enough with these so-called younger Indian players now is that when they take the step up to playing for India in a Test match or even leading their team, because they get that great experience from the IPL,' Ponting said.

'The IPL is probably almost as big as a Test match for a lot of these guys because of the crowds and the scrutiny that comes in an IPL game. I think the modern players are a bit more ready for that and a bit for those leadership roles and the enormity of the situation than they might have been 15 years ago. So I think Rishabh will handle it fine,' the former Australian cricketer concluded.

The second Test begins on 22 November at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. (ANI)