South Africa captain Temba Bavuma shares his thoughts on the drawn Pakistan Test series and the upcoming South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025 starting in November.
Looking Back at the Pakistan Test Series
South Africa’s Test captain, Temba Bavuma, believes a third Test against Pakistan would have been ideal to decide the series result. The two-match series ended in a draw after both sides showed strong performances in spin-friendly conditions. Bavuma said it would have been fair to give Pakistan another chance to make a comeback and see which team could hold their nerve in a decider before the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
The pitches in Pakistan offered turn but were still fair for batting. Bavuma noted that the wickets in Lahore and Rawalpindi allowed players to trust their defence and build their innings. Unlike the extremely dry tracks seen in Pakistan’s previous home series against England, these surfaces gave batters a chance to spend time in the middle while still rewarding spinners for accuracy and patience. The lessons learned here will be valuable ahead of the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
After losing the first Test in Lahore, South Africa made a strong comeback in Rawalpindi, winning on the fourth day. According to Bavuma, the slow start was a familiar issue, something the team needs to fix before the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025. “If we had played the first Test like the second, who knows what the overall series result could have been,” he said.
Spin was the key weapon for South Africa throughout the tour. The team’s spinners took 35 of the 40 Pakistani wickets, setting a new record for South Africa in a two-Test series. Simon Harmer was outstanding, picking up 13 wickets, including a memorable five-wicket haul in the second Test. Bavuma believes this experience will be crucial when they face India in the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025, where pitches tend to assist spin even more.
The captain also praised individual performances, mentioning Tony de Zorzi’s century, Ryan Rickelton’s match-winning knock, and Tristan Stubbs’ 76 in the first innings. He was equally impressed by Dewald Brevis, calling him “a special talent” who can turn difficult conditions into opportunities through his aggressive batting style. These performances give South Africa confidence going into the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
Bavuma also lauded stand-in captain Aiden Markram, who led the side in his absence. Though Markram didn’t score big runs, Bavuma said his attacking approach and confidence gave inspiration to the rest of the batting group. His leadership will once again be vital in the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
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Preparing for the India Test Challenge
With the Pakistan series behind them, Bavuma and his men now look ahead to a tougher task, the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025, starting in mid-November. The skipper expects the conditions in Kolkata and Guwahati to be challenging but believes early mental preparation is the key to success.
“My focus right now is on preparation, not just in terms of skills but mentally,” Bavuma said. “It’s about understanding the kind of challenges we will face in India and figuring out how to handle them during the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.”
As part of his return to match fitness, Bavuma will feature for South Africa A in the second four-day game against India A. He joked about having to find his South Africa A training kit, which he hasn’t used since 2017. However, he views the match as an important step in his build-up to the main series, especially since India A’s squad promises tough competition before the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025 begins.
Bavuma expects Indian pitches to behave similarly to those seen in recent series against New Zealand, good for batting early but increasingly spin-friendly as the game progresses. He said the team’s mantra would be to “prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” especially when dealing with spin-heavy conditions in the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
The South African skipper hopes the wickets in India will offer some balance for both batters and bowlers. “Ideally, batters should be able to get in during the first innings and build big scores, while spinners should come into play later in the match,” he said.
With confidence from their performance in Pakistan and valuable experience for their spinners, South Africa head to India aiming to continue their progress as a young but determined Test side in the South Africa vs India 2-Test Series 2025.
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source: Times of India
