In the first Test in Durban, it was Australia’s lower order hanging in with one established batter that first frustrated, then demoralised South Africa. In the second, on the third day in Gqeberha, South Africa returned the favour. Temba Bavuma played the role of Matthew Renshaw, assembling a near-flawless 179, combining with Marco Jansen’s 85 and Simon Harmer’s 82 to take the hosts to a declaration at 425 for nine.
Australia then lost one wicket for three in reply. Eight years ago, during Australia’s previous visit, Bavuma was a hard luck story. In his 29th Test and facing questioning for having only made one century in that time, he had Australia on the mat at Johannesburg in the aftermath of sandpaper week, until the last two wickets fell in two balls to strand him on 95 not out.
That innings sat like a curse for five more years, as he reached 54 Tests and 20 half-centuries without ever scoring that second ton. This made him an unlikely candidate for the captaincy, but that’s when everything changed. Despite starting with a pair, Bavuma has now added four centuries in 14 Tests, averaging 54 across the span, and until last week in Durban had never led a loss.
That includes the World Test Championship final, making yet another fifty to help beat Australia. Now, eight years after the 95 not out, he has a century against South Africa’s fiercest historical rival. The 179 was not just Bavuma’s biggest score, but comfortably his best.
He entered the fray at 12 for 2, saw a slump to 40 for 4, and batted in patches across two cloudy, damp, difficult, abbreviated days, starting the third with 41 to his name. Australia’s quicks got less help from an older ball, but Scott Boland was still suffocatingly accurate, while Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc bowled vicious bouncers in between threatening stumps and edge. His discipline in not reaching for width was monastic.
When he did choose aggression, with the on drive or the square punch, he chose exactly the right ball. Australia were hampered by Josh Hazlewood being banned from bowling for the first session having been off the field ill the previous day, while Bavuma was helped by Jansen’s repeated rolls of the dice forming a hot streak. Hazlewood’s absence did not seem a problem when Starc bounced out Wiaan Mulder early, South Africa six down when a smart review picked up a flick of glove, as the batter’s futile desperation couldn’t get him out of the way of a ball that squared him up and threatened his facial wellbeing.
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