South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma anticipates India will prepare rank-turning wickets when they tour South Africa next month for a two-match Test series, despite India’s recent inclination to play on more balanced, sporting tracks under new captain Shubman Gill.
Traditionally, India has relied heavily on spin to dismantle opposition batting line-ups and secure home Test series victories. However, Gill has expressed a preference for pitches that offer something to both batters and bowlers. The upcoming series between South Africa and India will see the first Test played in Kolkata from November 14-18, followed by the second Test in Guwahati from November 22-26.
“In terms of the surfaces in India, they are generally spinner-friendly. We won’t be shocked if we get to India and find ourselves playing on spinner-friendly wickets,” Bavuma told the media during the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards.
“Generally, teams now always use their conditions to their advantage, especially with the World Test Championship cycle and its format, so we won’t be surprised from that point of view,” he added.
Bavuma also highlighted the challenges South African spinners face in Indian conditions. “From my experience, there always seems to be a difference between the way Indian spinners bowl in their own conditions versus spinners from outside India. Foreign spinners often have to adjust by bowling quicker or flatter in these conditions,” he explained.
Reflecting on South Africa’s recent World Test Championship (WTC) title, Bavuma said the victory has boosted the team’s confidence and could mark the beginning of more global successes.
“The confidence is definitely sky high. For me, this has been a part of my legacy. As a captain, it’s great to be part of a winning team and clinching ICC events. We’ve come close in the past, and all that heartache only pushed us to work harder. This win motivates us to go for more ICC titles. When the T20 World Cup comes around next year, the guys will be going full throttle to repeat what we have just done,” he remarked.
Bavuma also drew inspiration from New Zealand’s recent 3-0 whitewash of India in 2024.
“Touring India is never an easy task. Looking at how New Zealand went about their business was inspiring in many ways. Many away teams come to India and have struggled,” he acknowledged.
“I heard Kane Williamson is going to be here. I’ll definitely be asking him for tips on how they went about it,” Bavuma added ahead of the awards ceremony.
On the evolving landscape of Indian cricket, Bavuma observed that the country has entered a new era under Shubman Gill’s leadership.
“It seems the new era has kicked in. Guys like Rohit Sharma and, before him, Virat Kohli, have done their job. They put India really on their mat and made India a team to be feared,” he said.
“I’m sure India will continue to dominate. Our job as South Africa is to not allow them to dominate as much,” Bavuma emphasized.
The recent reversal of Quinton de Kock’s retirement decision has sparked discussion, and Bavuma shared his perspective on the wicketkeeper-batsman’s return.
“I’m a bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with him from school cricket,” he confessed. “That he’s back again excites me as much as it excites many fans out there. But there are a lot of young batters who have made a name for themselves, so Quinton will have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”
With South Africa preparing for a challenging tour of India and eager to build on their recent successes, all eyes will be on this exciting Test series to see how both teams measure up in what promises to be a highly competitive encounter.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/we-wont-be-in-shock-if-temba-bavuma-ahead-of-india-test-tour-in-november