Proteas’ captain Bavuma hails ‘incredible achievement’

Temba Bavuma admitted he’d never thought his side could win a Test series 2-0 against India in India.

But that’s precisely what his Proteas managed on Wednesday, inflicting a record 408-run second Test defeat on an Indian team that had tried beating South Africa on a viciously spinning track in Kolkata and then a supremely batting-friendly surface in Guwahati.

“I would have never confidently thought we could walk away with a 2-0 series win. I think maybe that apprehension forced us to bring a higher level of intensity in our play and preparation,” said Bavuma after becoming only the second captain after Hansie Cronjé to lead a South African side to a Test series win against India.

That team, 25 years ago, contained some of the greats of South African cricket, including Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald and Gary Kirsten. Aside from Kagiso Rabada, this current generation doesn’t have that sort of star quality, though that may change after what Bavuma’s team have managed.

“It’s an incredible achievement for the group of players. We are making history and creating memorable moments,” he said.

Rabada missed both Tests against India. Perhaps even a year ago the prospect of winning a series in India without him would have been unfathomable, but this side was able to dig deep again.

It looked like they’d wasted the advantage of batting first after finishing day one six wickets down with batters who’d got starts and then were dismissed without a half-century among them.

But Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen stitched together crucial partnerships for the seventh and eighth wickets to get South Africa to the big first innings total that is so vital in those conditions.

Jansen then claimed 6/48, using the bouncer smartly to dismiss the home team for 201, with South Africa choosing not to enforce the follow-on. They made 260/5 before declaring their second innings with an hour left to play on the fourth evening.

There was much conjecture online about that decision, but it ultimately proved to be the correct one, with Jansen and Simon Harmer picking up the openers before the off-spinner and the rest of the slow bowlers finished off the match midway through the second-last session on the final day.

Harmer has been a revelation since returning to the Test side. In the four Tests in Pakistan and India, he picked up 30 wickets, with two five-wicket hauls along the way, been named man-of-the-match twice and on Wednesday finished with the Player of the Series prize.

“Never in a million years did I think I would have another shot at international cricket; never in a million years did I think I would come to India again, to be here to win 2-0. To be man of the series is special and quite surreal,” said the 36-year-old.

Bavuma remarked: “Simon has heavily bolstered our resources from a spin point of view.

“Over the years, as a team we have heavily relied on Keshav Maharaj. He probably wasn’t at his best in this series — by his own admission.

“The way Simon was able to do what he did, while also being supported by the other guys, Aiden Markram and Muthusamy, bowling has always been a strength of ours. The way the guys stepped up even though we didn’t have our main bowler, Kagiso, was incredible.

“There will be a lot more belief, not necessarily for me but for everyone in the team to be able to be really successful and formidable in all sorts of conditions.”

Jansen’s all-around contribution, which included a Test best of 93 with the bat, a match haul of seven wickets and two outstanding catches — the second a stunning one-hand grab to seal victory — earned him the player of the match award.

But the series triumph was an all-out team effort. “From a batting point of view, we don’t have guys who are getting big hundreds, but we have five or six guys willing to contribute, which will get us to a formidable score,” said the captain.

“We know from a bowling point of view we have enough to win us a game. It’s good times now, for us. We will enjoy this moment; afterwards, we will do our reflection and look for ways to get better.”

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