Bavuma backed for runs by Proteas coach

Joel Gould | December 15, 2022

Temba Bavuma showed his fighting spirit and class on South Africa’s last Test tour of Australia and his coach is backing him to fire again after recovering from a nagging elbow injury.

During the 2016-17 series, Bavuma made scores of 51 and 74 in the first innings of the Perth and Hobart Tests that were pivotal in securing wins for the tourists.

The 32-year-old middle order batter is set to play his first Test in eight months in the series opener against Australia at the Gabba starting on Saturday.

“I am really confident that (Bavuma) will do really well here,” interim Proteas coach Malbongwe Maketa said.

“He has been here before and knows the conditions and intensity brought by the (Australian) players, the crowd and everything that comes with the package of playing in Australia.”

Bavuma missed the recent Test tour of England with an elbow injury and did not bat in the first innings of the drawn clash with a Cricket Australia XI last week at Allan Border Field after jarring his elbow in the nets.

He made 28 off 92 balls in the second dig and his professional approach was further highlighted after play was called off.

The veteran of 51 Tests ran multiple laps around the field in his quest to be in top shape for the rigours of Test cricket.

He got a thorough examination during South Africa’s net session at the Gabba on Wednesday when speedsters Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje peppered him with pace.

He then went and faced spinner Keshav Maharaj where he played an assortment of traditional sweeps, reverse sweeps and paddle shots that stretched his elbow in every way possible.

“Temba was given an extended break after the World Cup and he has been batting really well since he joined the squad,” Maketa said.

“Unfortunately he couldn’t bat in the first innings (at Allan Border Field). We pushed him a bit hard in terms of the volume of work that he had to do once we got here.

“He has been our best batter, him and Dean (Elgar), consistency-wise and experience-wise. 

“He has been our best performing batter leading up to this tour so he is a very important member of the batting lineup.”

While he has not played Test cricket since the tour of Bangladesh in April, in the 10 Tests prior to that Bavuma made five fifties and three other scores of 40-plus in a consistent block.