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PlayersTemba Bavuma, captaincy and the making of a batting star
Bavuma is already 36 and it has taken him a while to get to this point, but every aspect of his journey has helped him become the player he is today.
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At 110/6 in the first innings of the second Test against Australia, South Africa were staring down the barrel. They had already lost the first Test and if they were bowled out cheaply again, another loss was perhaps on the cards. The series would have been gone as well and that is not how World Test champions would have liked to start the new cycle.
Pre-February 2023, in this scenario, one could have expected a good-looking cameo from Temba Bavuma. Everything would look right for a while, he would show grit and determination and then, almost like clockwork, inexplicably throw his wicket away. This is why in 54 Tests between 2014 and 2023, he had averaged just 34.53.
But since taking over as skipper, Bavuma has emerged not just as a leader but also as a batter of consummate class. His 179 helped rescue his side from a precarious position and guide them to a comfortable 425/9 declared but to be fair, it wouldn't have surprised anyone. In 14 Tests as captain, Bavuma has averaged an incredible 54.36.
Incredible, not because there aren't others doing better, but simply because of what his batting average was in the past. He went 40 Tests and 7 years without a Test ton. If one is seeking a trigger for the change, then, in Bavuma's case, captaincy seems to be it.
Bavuma numbers
Not as captain: Between 2014-2023, 54 Tests, 2797 runs, avg 34.53
As captain: Between 2023-2026, 14 Tests, 1196 runs, avg 54.36
Captaincy can often derail the best of batters. Before taking up the job, one only has to focus on themselves. Now, there is a team to think of. Your form alone doesn't matter, there is also the matter of putting together a winning team.
But Bavuma somehow seems to be able to shut out all the outside noise that usually accompanies captaincy. Instead, the sense of responsibility seems to have brought out the best in him. Disappointed by his performance in the first Test at Kingsmead, he spent the days leading up to the Gqeberha Test in the nets. Hour after hour, driven by the need to do something for the team.
"Ordinarily, I find myself in these situations quite a number of times and I guess it seems to bring out the best in me," said Bavuma at close of play on Tuesday. "From an approach point of view, it wasn't anything different in terms of how I went about it: get myself stuck in, pride myself to get the team into a competitive position. What was different from a personal point of view was to get through that period and put up a good score."
So much in sport depends on the mindset and for Bavuma that shift has been key. He isn't alone either. India's Shubman Gill is also in the same boat. Since taking over as skipper, he has averaged 71.87 in 11 Tests. In 32 Tests, before becoming skipper, he had made 1893 runs at an average of 35.05.
His talent was clear, as was Bavuma's, but sometimes you need something or someone to push you into the deep end to know whether you can sink or swim. Maybe, for these two individuals, captaincy was that nudge.
Perhaps, the early struggles make them better captains or better batters as captain. England's Mike Brearley is considered one of the greatest captains ever but his batting never quite blossomed under the strain of leading a side. So it isn't for everyone.
"Some of the great players haven't been great captains because they haven't been able to understand the struggle. You have to have an empathy for other players," Brearley had once said in an interview.
That empathy is something one witnesses in almost every Bavuma interaction. The ability to put things in perspective for himself and his team. Leaders often have to take tough decisions but understanding the other side has its perks.
Bavuma is already 36 and it has taken him a while to get to this point, but every aspect of his journey has helped him become the player he is today. The realisation that nothing is without purpose is a vital one for Bavuma and perhaps for a much-younger Gill too.
For now, the story of South Africa's first Black Test captain isn't done and as he had said after the World Test Championship final, he's still looking for a happy ending.
"I'm still looking for that happy ending and I won't stop until that happens," Bavuma had said. "As long as that enjoyment is there, I believe that I'll be able to overcome and persevere through whatever comes my way – the good and the bad. But there's nothing in my career that I regret."
