'Can't take anything for granted' - Pant rues missed chances after 2-0 clean sweep

India's failure to capitalise on their chances sent them tumbling to a 2-0 series defeat against South Africa, according to their stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.

"They [South Africa] definitely played better cricket, but at the same time, in cricket you can't take anything for granted," Pant said at the post-match presentation. "You can play at home or away, but at the same time, cricket demands that determination and that extra.

"There are moments in the game where you need to capitalise [on] it as a team, as a batting unit. But as a team, we didn't capitalise on those enough for a longer period of time, and that cost us the whole series."

In the second Test in Guwahati, where Pant took over captaincy from the injured Shubman Gill, India let South Africa get away and post 489 after they had the visitors at 246 for 6 at one point.

South Africa went on to bat India out of the Test, setting them an improbable 549. On the final day, India's batters had their chances - both B Sai Sudharsan and nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav were reprieved - but they eventually folded for 140, suffering a 408-run loss, theirbiggest ever in Test cricket.

This was India's second series defeat in their previous three home series. Last year, they suffered an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, which ended a proud run of 17 straight home-series wins over a 12-year period. Pant called on India to stick together and find a way past this rut.

"Definitely it's a little disappointing, but as a team we need to get better," Pant said. "And you've got to give credit to the opposition that they played better cricket than us," Pant said. "Because, in series like this, which has already been tough, if we dwell too much... you've got to take the learning and stick as a team."