Temba Bavuma inspired a famous South Africa victory on Sunday at the Eden Gardens. The Proteas skipper smashed an unbeaten 55 to pull the visitors back into the clash. Simon Harmer then spun a web as South Africa sealed a 30-run win. It was their first win on Indian soil in 15 years.
Bavuma has since been the toast of the cricketing community, with praise for his batting and leadership. His tackling of spin on a difficult pitch earned him plaudits from fans, experts and teammates alike.
Now, an old tweet of his is going viral on social media. Bavuma, in 2017, had claimed Gautam Gambhir to be the best player of spin.
Bavuma's tweet came at the time when Gautam Gambhir was still KKR captain. In the match against Gujarat Lions, he scored a masterful 76 not out to seal a whopping 10-wicket win in Rajkot. His ability against spin impress Bavuma who took to social media to express his admiration.
8 years later, Bavuma flipped the script. Gambhir has long retired and has gone into coaching. Temba meanwhile is South Africa captain. Drawing on his own strengths, Gambhir requested for a turning track at Eden. Bavuma was the only batter who stood to the task, handing the India head coach another embarrassing defeat.
Bavuma doesn't get enough credit: Kumble
Former India head coach Anil Kumble stressed that Bavuma does not get enough credit for his batting or leadership.
“I felt South Africa batted brilliantly, led by their skipper, and he was well supported by the bowlers. India, I thought, were a bit too overawed by the pitch and conditions. Temba Bavuma showed that you can apply yourself. It was just a matter of application and India eventually succumbed to the pressure," India leading wicket-taker in Test matches said after the game.
