After months of searching for rhythm, Temba Bavuma delivered a career-best 179 to drag South Africa out of trouble in the second Test against Australia. The captain now hopes the innings can do more than keep the series alive.
There was a point when Temba Bavuma was simply trying to get through his innings. A 50 or 60, perhaps, after arriving early at the crease with South Africa in trouble. Enough to steady things, enough to get the team moving again. This time, he wanted more.
SA vs AUS, 3nd Test Day 3: Highlights | Scorecard
At St George’s Park, with South Africa staring at a collapse at 110 for six, Bavuma found the answer he had been searching for. His career-best 179 transformed the second Test against Australia, powering the hosts to 425 for nine declared and giving them a chance to fight back after their heavy defeat in Durban.
For Bavuma, however, the significance of the innings stretched beyond the scorecard. He had been struggling to find his rhythm through the ODI series and into the first Test. The work in the nets had been about recovering a familiar feeling, about rediscovering the touch he had found the previous year.
“I kind of struggled with rhythm through the ODI series, even coming up to the first Test,” Bavuma admitted. “I was just trying to go into the nets and just trying to find the feeling that I kind of had last year.”
On Tuesday, that feeling returned when South Africa needed it most.
THE SEARCH FOR RHYTHM
Bavuma’s innings was as much about managing a difficult situation as it was about the runs he scored. South Africa had resumed at 97 for five after rain had severely restricted the first two days. The loss of Wiaan Mulder for 13 left them at 110 for six, with Australia threatening to take control.
Bavuma had often found himself in similar positions, arriving early and trying to scramble his way to a half-century. This time, he managed to turn that familiar challenge into something far more substantial.
“Looking at the situation of the game, and I think personally as well, I found myself a lot in those type of situations, coming in early, trying to manage myself to kind of scramble through to a 50 or 60,” he said. “But I think what was nice was my ability just to take it even further and make it count.”
That ability to stay at the crease proved decisive. Bavuma brought up his century from 226 balls, anchoring the innings while Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer provided the attacking support that South Africa desperately needed.
Jansen made 85 in a record-breaking 132-run stand for the seventh wicket. Harmer then added 183 with Bavuma for the eighth wicket, scoring a career-best 82 as South Africa turned a precarious position into a commanding total.
Bavuma was particularly appreciative of the contributions around him. Ryan Rickelton had helped establish momentum earlier, while Jansen’s aggressive approach and Harmer’s application extended the recovery.
“Very brave innings from him,” Bavuma said of Jansen. “And Simon as well. You know, I think he showed a lot of application there at the end.”
Harmer fell short of a maiden Test century, but his partnership with the captain ensured South Africa could declare at 425 for nine.
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
Bavuma’s approach to batting has long been shaped by efficiency of movement rather than imposing himself physically. Asked about the influence of Sachin Tendulkar, one of his childhood heroes, the South African captain acknowledged that he had tried to emulate the Indian great’s technique.
“I’m obviously not a big guy. I’m not really going to get any big strides in. I try to be efficient in terms of my movement,” he said.
“Sometimes it gets me into trouble. But I think for me, that’s generally what works. I try to play the ball as close to my body as possible.”
It is a method built around control and precision, qualities that were essential against an Australian attack Bavuma knows is among the toughest in the game.
He pointed to the quality of the opposition’s pace attack, noting that at least three of Australia’s four frontline bowlers were in the top 10 of the ICC Test rankings.
“We got a taste of it in the first Test, and we kind of knew what was up for us,” he said.
South Africa’s defeat in Durban had made the second Test particularly important for Bavuma, who had been unable to contribute with the bat in the series opener. His 179 was therefore a response both to the demands of the match and to his own frustration over the preceding weeks.
HALF THE JOB DONE
Despite the scale of South Africa’s recovery, Bavuma was careful not to treat the innings as a finished job. The hosts declared late in the day, leaving Australia with a handful of overs to negotiate. Kagiso Rabada, returning after a five-month layoff with a hamstring injury, struck in the first over to dismiss Nic Maddinson.
Australia ended the day at three for one, giving South Africa an early opening. But Bavuma knows the bowlers must now turn the platform created by the batters into a result.
“From a batting point of view, we’ve done half the job,” he said. “Yeah, it’s up to the bowlers now.”
The captain also explained that South Africa had considered declaring earlier but had been cautious because of the weather. With the hosts needing a win to keep the series alive, the plan is to give themselves enough time to put Australia under sustained pressure.
Beyond the immediate match, Bavuma hopes the long hours spent at the crease will have a lasting effect. Making Australia’s bowlers work for extended periods, he believes, could pay dividends in Cape Town, whatever happens in the second Test.
“You want to win the game. You want to get yourself into a position where you know you can win the game,” he said. “And I think we’ve given ourselves a chance.”
For a captain who had spent weeks trying to rediscover his rhythm, the innings offered something more valuable than a personal best. It gave South Africa renewed belief, a way back into the contest and a platform from which to challenge Australia again.
Now comes the harder part: making the most of it.
– Ends
