Guwahati, India – A moment of frustration and urgency from India's stand-in captain, Rishabh Pant, directed at Kuldeep Yadav, became a talking point on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. With the clock ticking down, Pant's impatience with Yadav's apparent delay in starting his over was caught on the stump mic, adding a fiery edge to the morning session.

The incident occurred as Kuldeep Yadav was preparing to bowl. Yadav seemed to be taking his time adjusting the field, which visibly irked Pant. The stump mic picked up Pant's exasperated words: "Yaar, 30 seconds ka timer hai. Ghar pe khel rahe ho kya? Ek ball daal jaldi," which translates to: "The timer is on. Are you playing at your home? Just bowl the ball quickly". Pant's outburst reflected the pressure of adhering to the ICC's newly implemented stop-clock rule.

The ICC introduced the stop clock rule at the beginning of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle to prevent time-wasting and ensure a better pace of play in Test matches. According to the rule, the fielding team must start the next over within 60 seconds of the completion of the previous one. Failure to comply results in a warning, and a third offense leads to a five-run penalty being awarded to the batting side. The penalty count resets every 80 overs.

Earlier in the match, Pant had already received a warning in the 45th over on Day 1 for a similar delay. The incident with Kuldeep Yadav led to a second warning. A third violation within the subsequent 80 overs would result in South Africa being awarded five penalty runs.

Pant's frustration underscores the importance of the stop-clock rule and the need for teams to maintain a swift tempo between overs. It also highlights the added responsibility on captains to manage time effectively and ensure their team adheres to the regulations. The rule is similar to the "timed out" rule, which requires a new batsman to be ready to face the ball within three minutes of the previous batsman's dismissal.

The incident sparked discussions among cricket fans and pundits, with some appreciating Pant's proactive approach to enforcing the rules and maintaining the game's pace, while others felt his outburst was unnecessary. Regardless, the moment served as a reminder of the evolving landscape of Test cricket and the increasing emphasis on time management.