Proteas captain Temba Bavuma plays a pull shot during his century against Pakistan at Newlands in Cape Town.
Image: Rodger Bosch / AFP
Proteas red-ball coach Shukri Conrad revealed that captain Temba Bavuma wasn't fully fit despite piling on the runs and guiding South Africa to the World Test Championship final.
Bavuma entered the South African summer recovering from an elbow injury sustained during the One-Day International series against Ireland in the United Arab Emirates. The injury saw him miss out on the two-Test series against Bangladesh, which meant he went into series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan cold and without any time in the middle.
But Bavuma, with a heavily strapped elbow, came to the party when his team needed him most, scoring a match-defining 70 in the first innings against Sri Lanka on a seaming wicket at Kingsmead in Durban, before following it up with a century in the second innings.
All-in-all, Bavuma scored 504 runs at an average 72 over the course of the four Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, scoring two centuries and three half-centuries in seven innings.
In a few of those knocks he looked in some discomfort, but such was the determination of the man to see the team reach their goal - winning at least three out of the four Tests to reach the Lord's showpiece match - that he soldiered on.
His century in the New Year's Test against Pakistan at Newlands in the Cape Town, the scene of his maiden ton in 2016, was the crowning glory of one hell of a summer.
"He has played unbelievably well this summer and full marks to him. Any captain wants to lead from the front and through performances, and that is what Temba has done exceptionally well," Conrad said after the match.
"He hasn't lost a game as captain of South Africa. He is turning out performances and I haven't seen him play better. He is in the form of his life and that gives you a lot of confidence when you are captaining as well.
"He is a very measured guy and he thinks things through and he has clarity of thought. But he is also forthright to tell you what he agrees with and what he doesn't agree with. He certainly knows where he wants to go with the side, we know where he wants to go with the side. I wouldn't want anybody else to be captaining us."
Conrad said that Bavuma, who is also the Proteas' ODI captain, will have a break before leading the team into battle at the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The Proteas play warm-up matches against New Zealand (February 10) and Pakistan (February 12), before their opening match of the tournament against Afghanistan on February 21.
"In terms of surgery, I'm not too sure. As things stand, Temba will be resting up nicely now in preparation for the Champions Trophy, that is next on the agenda," Conrad said when asked about Bavuma's injury.
"He has managed to get through this summer - not as easily as he would have liked. But sometimes you must be wary of the wounded warrior. Those are the guys that are the most dangerous.
"That brings out the best in him as well, when he is fighting something else, it really just shows that character of Temba."
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