Proteas Seal Historic Test Series Comeback
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma believes his side has produced a landmark performance after completing an epic comeback against Australia to claim a historic Test series victory at Newlands on Saturday.
South Africa bounced back from a difficult start to the three-match series, sinking the tourists by 176 runs to seal a memorable win over one of the world’s strongest cricket nations.
Bavuma painted the contest as one of the most notable Test series in recent history, as both teams showcased their superb talents to earn praises from the skipper. “I think this will be remembered as one of the iconic Test series, at least in this century, I’d like to believe. Two quality sides who came up against each other and really forced each other to play their best cricket,” he said.
Bavuma entrenched his name in the history books, alongside Faf Du Plessis as the only South African captains to overcome Australia in a home Test series since the county’s readmission to international cricket.
The accomplishment further demonstrated the essence of their run, as it propelled the Proteas to the top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time in a decade.
The skipper said that the team needed to be aware of the magnitude of their achievement after enduring immense pressure throughout the series. “It will be important for us to acknowledge what we have achieved, really bask in what we have achieved. Coming into this series, we were tested from all angles every day. We were under pressure,” he said.
South Africa suffered a setback after being outsmarted in the opening Test in Durban, but responded firmly with Bavuma leading the charge in Gqeberha before producing a resilient performance in Cape Town.
Bavuma credited the team’s mental strength and ability to find solutions during challenging moments as key factors behind their turnaround. “For 15 days it was just pressure. You wake up every day asking yourself to be at your best. Physically, there are times where you feel like you cannot go at 100 per cent, but you need to dig deep,” he said.
He added that the victory had laid a layer of strength and belief within the squad and silenced doubts over their previous success in the World Test Championship final. “I do hope with the way that we performed, not the result, but the way that we performed, it’s given that belief,” Bavuma said.
“In a cheeky way, we answered certain critics, saying that what we did at the WTC final was no fluke,” he added.
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