Under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, South Africa earned crucial points in the third and ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, as they sealed their series victory with a 1-0 margin in the West Indies, thanks to the 40-run win during the second game at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The first game ended in a draw after most of the contest was spoiled due to rain.
The impressive part of the game was the way the visitors made a comeback, in the game despite being nine down in the first innings under the score of 100. They held their nerve in crucial situations in both the batting and bowling departments, which in the end, helped South Africa to get the expected result of the encounter.
In the second innings, they decided to be aggressive with the bat in hand, as they went after the bowlers of the home. The track was getting slow, which shouldered more responsibility on the left-arm veteran spinner, Keshav Maharaj, who was clinical and spot-on bowling at the same line and length.
South Africa move up to fifth place in the WTC 2023-25 points table
The first Test series for the Proteas in the ongoing WTC cycle was at home against India towards the end of last summer, where they won the first game with an innings and 32 run margin but were defeated in the second at Newlands, Cape Town by seven wickets, in what turned out to be the farewell game for their former captain and opening batter Dean Elgar.
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With the rise of popularity of the SA20 league, South Africa decided to send their second-string side to New Zealand for the two-match red-ball series, where most of their batters made their debut in the opening game. They lost both the game with heavy margins of 281 runs and seven wickets.
The first Test of the recent West Indies series was so crucial. In the first game at Port of Spain, Trinidad found them making a great start with 357 runs on the board in the first innings, but the rain in the lion’s share of the contest was enough to spoil their party.
All these equations made this Guyana Test quite vital for the Rainbow Nation. South Africa showed great resilience with the ball in hand during the fourth innings to bundle out the hosts for only 222 to gain a 40-run win to mark their 10th consecutive series victory against the Caribbean side.
Their red-ball head coach, Shukri Conrad, expressed the excitement of the win, as they would aim for something special in what in his words, was called the ‘World Cup’ of Test cricket.
“We know that if we win every Test match, there is that possibility (of qualifying to the WTC final). And We’re thrilled that there might be something for us at the end of this.” South Africa’s Test coach, Shukri Conrad, noted at the end of the game. “There’s World Cups in every other format, and no reason why Test cricket shouldn’t have something like this.”
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Temba Bavuma believed that the more opportunities these players would get better they were expected to become in the longest format.
“We just need to keep building. We are an inexperienced team. The more the guys play, the more confident they will become. We can be a formidable side.” South Africa’s captain revealed.
Their next red-ball series for South Africa will be a couple of two-match Test series at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They will also travel to Bangladesh for another red-ball away series.