Bavuma: I have some work to do
YOUNG STAR: I WAS DISAPPOINTED I COULDN’T CONVERT ‘Steyn, Philander will be a handful at Centurion’.
Temba Bavuma was pleased with his delightful innings of 46 in the first Test against New Zealand last weekend, but the South African middle-order batsman fully understands the implications of his failure to go on and score something more sizeable.
“It’s always pleasing to get some runs on the board, but I was quite disappointed that I wasn’t able to convert for the team. If I had been able to make more of my start, then we would have reached 300. There’s definitely a feeling of disappointment in the batting unit and Faf du Plessis said to me that both of us should have gone on. We were the batsmen who were in and we should have converted, that was the difference between scoring 263 and 350,” Bavuma said at Centurion yesterday, where the second Test starts tomorrow.
It was Bavuma’s first Test innings in almost eight months and, for a 26-year-old who has played less than a dozen Tests and is still trying to establish himself at the highest level, the lack of opportunities means he is often “starting afresh” in a way. And now this two-Test series has been reduced to little more than a one-match shoot-out at Centurion.
“It is quite frustrating because it would be nice to play for a consistent period of time, that would assist me in getting used to the international level. But it was a good experience and I took a lot out of testing my skills against those of the New Zealand attack.
“You can see why Trent Boult and Tim Southee are up there in the rankings, their skills are impeccable and they’re always asking questions. The Black Caps attack is a formidable force on a pitch that assists them a bit more, they were quite patient and generally bowled a bit fuller. They tested my balance and I had to make sure I was on the front foot more. I had to wait for the bad ball and choose the right time to put pressure back on them,” Bavuma said.
Given that New Zealand only batted for 12 overs in their first innings, for the loss of two wickets, it was not obvious which side holds the advantage coming from Durban, but Bavuma is confident the Proteas have the measure of the tourists.
“I’d like to believe we have the momentum. The way Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander bowled, that should send shivers up the spines of their batting line-up. Our batsmen all got starts but we just couldn’t convert. So there are a lot of positives for us,” he said.