Team India came into the home series against South Africa on a 12-match winning streak and needed just one more victory to script a new world record for most consecutive T20I triumphs. But in cricket, things could change quite quickly. That's what has happened with Rishabh Pant and his boys as they have lost both the matches against South Africa, having suffered a seven-wicket defeat in Delhi followed by yet another loss in Cuttack. In the national capital, it was the underperformance of the bowlers which cost Team India dearly, in Odisha they were let down by a poor display with the bat. Rishabh Pant himself hasn't been in the best of forms with the bat and several former cricketers have questioned his captaincy tactics. While the likes of Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sunil Gavaskar, Gautam Gambhir, and Graeme Smith haven't been impressed with his leadership skills, especially his decision of demoting Dinesh Karthik in the second T20I, others have questioned his mindset. Now another cricketer – former India opener Wasim Jaffer has blasted him for “panicking” in tense situations during games.

“Yes, we saw something similar in the IPL as well. I feel the more he captains, the better he'll get. But, yes, at this stage, I think when the match gets tight, he panics a bit,” Wasim Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo.

According to Wasim Jaffer, Rishabh Pant's poor captaincy wasn't the only factor behind India's defeats in the first two matches of the series against the Proteas.

Wasim Jaffer highlighted the fact that the Temba Bavuma-led side has won both the tosses which have given them a massive advantage.

“To some extent, yes. Being 2-0 down in a five-match series, if even one of the next three goes even marginally bad [it will be curtains down]. So India will have to play very good cricket irrespective of the toss,” Wasim Jaffer added.

“Yes, that's been the story so far. South Africa won both the tosses and both results went their way so India needs to win at least the next two tosses,” he further said.

Before Wasim Jaffer's criticism of Rishabh Pant, the 24-year-old southpaw had received flak from Ashish Nehra, who called him out for under-bowling Axar Patel in the second match in Odisha.

“Changes to the playing XI depend on the conditions in Vizag. Rishabh Pant also needs to take a look. He held back Axar Patel for so long. There were two right-handed batters at that time. I don't see any reason why Axar Patel was not given an over at that time,” Ashish Nehra said on Cricbuzz.

Ex-India stumper Parthiv Patel echoed similar views, saying that a captain must read the game well to make the required changes on the field. Pant though appears to have no clue whatsoever about how to control the proceedings in the middle.

“Reading the game becomes very important in such situations, especially in this format. Klassen was struggling initially, and he had to change gears. Although he played spin really well today, there was a chance to bring in Axar Patel against him,” Parthiv Patel stated.

Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar, Gautam Gambhir, and Graeme Smith had launched a scathing attack on Rishabh Pant for sending Axar Patel ahead of Dinesh Karthik when India batted at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.

“Sometimes there are these labels like ‘finisher’. And when you talk about a finisher you think he will come to bat only after the 15th over. He can’t come in the 12th or the 13th over. And we have seen these happen in the IPL as well. Lot of teams have only kept their big hitters for the last 4-5 overs. When actually, if they had been sent earlier, because they have the ability to work things around, they don’t necessarily have to hit sixes from the time they come in. The fact that when they get to the batting area and work the ball around, they get the feel of the wicket and they can bat accordingly in the last 4-5 overs,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

The hero of Team India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs, Gautam Gambhir didn’t agree with Rishabh Pant’s strategy either.

“No doubt Dinesh Karthik performed really well but he should have walked out to bat at least before Axar Patel. Normally we say that there are very limited number of balls to face in T20 and most of the batters want to bat up the order. Dinesh Karthik is a player whom you want to keep for the last 3-4 overs. But he had to come early as Hardik Pandya was dismissed but if he should have come ahead of Axar Patel and given himself 10-15 balls, probably he would have done more damage to the opponent. 149 could have been 169 had he given himself the opportunity,” Gautam Gambhir said.

“So moving forward it shouldn’t be that Dinesh Karthik is kept for the last three overs. If you are a specialised batter and you’re batting at number 6 then it’s your job to play in tough situations, give yourself more chances. And inflict the damage in the last three overs,” Gambhir explained.

Former South African captain Graeme Smith described Rishabh Pant's decision to promote Axar Patel ahead of Dinesh Karthik as “mind-blowing”.

“I don't understand. When Karthik is one of the most experienced cricketers in India. Look at how many games he has played for India. Never mind the IPL. How can you send Axar Patel ahead of him. This is mind blowing,” he said.