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By Stuart Hess 
13h ago
JOHANNESBURG – Temba Bavuma admitted that he should have waited for the referee to make a decision on his expulsion in the first test, calling his decision to walk premature.
Bavuma first spoke about his ‘dismissal’ in the first Test against Sri Lanka, while noting that he, like all Proteas hitters, was under additional pressure due to his seniority in what is a very young team.
Bavuma scored 71 at SuperSport Park, helping Faf du Plessis put a twist in that match after Sri Lankans dominated the first day. The duo shared a partnership of 179 when South Africa moved up to 621, the first time the team had scored a total of more than 600 in five years.
“The pressure was on the hitters, especially since they were the older guys on the team, to really step up and lead the way. I was able to establish a partnership with him, to put us in a winning position. It was nice to do a few races, to build my confidence and most importantly build from there, ”said Bavuma.
It could have been an even better result, except that Bavuma walked when he believed he had managed a delivery of Dasun Shanaka to the goalkeeper, before referee Marias Erasmus had a chance to lift his finger. Replays showed that Bavuma hadn’t touched the ball, and his decision surprised Du Plessis at the non-forward end, who later said he hadn’t heard a nick.
“I would have liked to score a lot more runs, the opportunity was there,” Bavuma said. “Walking prematurely before the referee made the decision, looking back was not the smart thing to do. It happened on the spur of the moment. “
The pain of missing a milestone was somewhat mitigated by the result of the first Trial, and Bavuma explained that it provided comfort after what has been a difficult couple of years for the Proteas Trial side.
“The biggest challenge (for the second test) is matching the effort we put in in the first.”
“The guys that came in took their opportunity, specifically Faf. The challenge is for the hitters to come in and then get a great score to put the team in a good position.
The inexperienced bowling unit showed a lot of stamina in the first round, rebounding from an ordinary display on the first day, to put Sri Lanka under enormous pressure in the second inning. “There is a lot of skill among those guys (the bowlers) that we talk to from a mental point of view, so we want to know how they get to the right (mental) space so they can take their best step forward. They are eager and eager to learn, and they try to extract as much information from the older kids as they can.
It was notable that at SuperSport Park, Bavuma was talking a lot to Wiaan Mulder and rookie Lutho Sipamla between deliveries or even at the end of their overs. Quinton de Kock noted that Bavuma, a candidate for the test team captaincy, was part of the senior leadership group he had relied on for help on the first test.
“I enjoy that responsibility,” he said. “Quinny and I have played together for a long time. There is an understanding in terms of our strengths and where we can help each other. I guess you could say that I help with all the ‘soft stuff’ when we’re out in the field. Whatever kind of responsibility I take on, I enjoy that part of the game.
“Being seen as a senior player in the team is quite good, it allows you to blur, forget about all the external pressures and really give the team another way.”
* Sewing bowler Glenton Stuurman was released from the test team on Friday after suffering a left quadriceps strain. He will return to his franchise, the Warriors, for his rehabilitation.
With Kagiso Rabada and Beuran Hendricks added to the squad earlier this week, no more replacements will be called up. Test two against Sri Lanka begins at Wanderers on Sunday.
Proteas Squad
Quinton de Kock (capt), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Sarel Erwee, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne, Be Hendricks, Lutho Sipamla, Raynard van Tonder.
@shockerhess
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