India’s aspirations to clinch a historic Test series victory on South African territory were ruthlessly shattered when the Proteas secured a comprehensive win by an innings margin of 32 runs. Dean Elgar’s stellar performance, amassing a formidable 185 runs, rightfully earned him the accolade of Player of the Match. However, as South Africa braces for the Cape Town Test against India, they face the setback of losing their captain, Temba Bavuma. His absence is attributed to a left hamstring injury that hindered his participation in the initial innings in Centurion.
Stepping into Bavuma’s significant leadership shoes for his final Test match, Dean Elgar aims to preserve South Africa’s proud legacy of maintaining an undefeated Test record at home against the Indian cricket team. In light of Bavuma’s unfortunate injury, Zubayr Hamza has been summoned back into the squad, entrusted with the responsibility of filling the void left by the skipper for the upcoming New Year’s Test in Cape Town.
Furthermore, the unexpected setback suffered by Bavuma raises pertinent concerns regarding his availability for the imminent second edition of the SA20, scheduled to commence on January 10, 2024. This injury not only impacts the Proteas’ immediate Test plans but also potentially jeopardizes Bavuma’s role in the forthcoming shorter format series against India.
Shukri Conrad, the coach for South Africa’s Test team, stated that Bavuma was eager to “bat continuously.” However, once they secured a significant lead in the first innings, Conrad believed there was no need to endanger Bavuma further by letting him play, as it might have exacerbated his injury.
Conrad further says: He was ready to bat at every turn, and we kept monitoring it. When we reached where we reached, not because we felt that was enough, we felt that if we sent him out then there was a potential risk that he could aggravate the risk even further. We were constantly giving ourselves maximum time so we could give out the right information. If we lost wickets early, he would have walked on. With 150 runs ahead, I felt it wasn’t necessary to risk Temba.
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