South Africa captain Temba Bavuma made history on Sunday when he led the Proteas to their first Test win in India in the last 15 years. With the home team opting for a turning track, the South Africa spinners led by off break Simon Harmer made merry and ended up trumping India as the hosts fell short by 30 runs and ceded the 1st Test at Eden Gardens.
“I think in the second innings yesterday, it wasn’t from a seam point of view, there weren’t demons from that point of view. Nothing, at least, that you wouldn’t expect. In terms of how they were trying to get you out. From a spin point of view, I felt that it was tricky. A little bit on the extreme side. I find it a bit tricky to trust the bounce of the wicket. Some balls were bouncing nicely. Others were squatting. So that was a bit tricky, which made the cross-batted shots a bit harder,” Bavuma said to reporters after the end of the match in Kolkata.
“Maybe from a spin point of view, you’d expect the way the wicket played, more from day 3, day 4 onwards. Maybe that’s what you’d expect. But that being said, that’s what you can expect when you come to India. I don’t think I’ve ever played on a day 5 in India. Nor have I played day 4. Unless they’ve scored 600. Nothing new from my previous experience,” he added.
South Africa defeated India by 30 runs in Kolkata Test.
(Express Photo by Partha Paul)
Bavuma, who scored a gritty half century which went a long way in helping South Africa take a 123-run lead, was asked a question on if the Proteas had beaten India at their own game. The 35-year-old said that he agreed with that point.
“Yeah, it’s probably true. I think the wicket that was prepared is what I understand was asked on their side. We’ve come here knowing that the wickets are going to be spinner-friendly, similar to what we got in this game so it didn’t come as a surprise. Obviously, once you’re out there in the heat of the moment, it’s a different thing. I think for a lot of our younger guys, it’s an experience for them to take in,” he said.
Bavuma has an enviable record as the South Africa captain, winning 10 of the last 11 matches he has led in, and no defeat. With the Guwahati Test coming up next and India on the backfoot, Bavuma has a chance to do something that hasn’t been done by the Proteas since 2000 – win a Test series in India.
