South Africa captain Temba Bavuma lauded his team’s character and bowling strength after a 2-1 series victory over Australia, which propelled the Proteas to the top of the ICC Men’s Test rankings following a dramatic win at Newlands.
Bavuma Hails Series Victory
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma described the team’s 2-1 Test series victory over Australia as his best series experience, crediting the collective character of the side and its bowling attack for helping them secure the triumph and reach the top of the ICC Men’s Test rankings. South Africa defeated Australia by 176 runs in the third and final Test at Newlands on Saturday. The hosts recovered from a 100-run first-innings deficit through centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder before Simon Harmer’s 10-wicket match haul and Kagiso Rabada’s three early strikes sealed the victory.
Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony, Bavuma acknowledged the support of the Newlands crowd and said the team wanted to carry forward the momentum from the previous day. “You’ve got to acknowledge the Newlands faithful. In terms of the game, they added their force to it. We wanted to carry on with the momentum from yesterday. Our conversation was about the character of the team coming out. Rickelton and Mulder put us in a good position. Rabada got everything going today, and we managed to keep a tight grip on things,” Bavuma said.
Dominant Bowling Backbone
The South African captain also praised the team’s bowling unit, describing it as the backbone of their success across different playing conditions. “Our bowling attack has been the backbone of the team. It’s why we are successful. When the wicket suits fast bowlers, we have the bowlers and even on spin tracks. Disappointed on how Harmer went in GQ but he is a fighter. Firstly, it has been an enthralling 15 days of cricket. Saw two quality sides coming up and exploiting each other’s weaknesses,” he added.
Reflecting on Success and Future Goals
Reflecting on the contest, Bavuma said South Africa had faced challenging moments during the series and acknowledged that there were occasions when the team was impressed by Australia’s performance. “There were times we were in awe of the Australians. We play better when we are behind in the game, don’t know if it is good or bad,” the Proteas skipper said.
Bavuma described reclaiming the top position in the ICC Men’s Test rankings as an important achievement for the team, adding that improving standards and strengthening the reputation of the Proteas badge remained among their ambitions. “[Ranking] Exceptional. That has been part of our ambition as a team. Want to push standards as high as we can. Want to leave the Proteas badge in a better place. Every time you get an opportunity to come up against Australia, you savour that. Want to get one-up over them. Haven’t been involved in a better series. This win is number 1,” he said.
The captain said the team had made positive progress towards its goals but would take time to absorb the achievement before turning its attention to the next assignment. “We’ve made positive strides to where we want to be. With all the emotions we’ve gone through, need to give it time to settle. After a week we will meet and start preparing for Bangladesh. For now it is about soaking in and realise what we have achieved,” Bavuma added.
South Africa’s 2-1 series victory marked another successful home campaign against Australia, with the hosts winning the final two Tests after losing the opening match.
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