Gavaskar backed Pant and said he is an intelligent cricketer. When you bat well, there's not much to reflect upon, but when you don't perform with the bat or ball, you understand the areas that need improvement. He also said that it was just the first match, and there are still 13 games left. He felt Pant would have valuable insights regarding his batting and captaincy, and he expects his captaincy to become even more assured.