‘It was a spirited effort’: Bavuma relieved after Proteas hit back against Australia

After falling in a 214-run defeat in the opening game, captain Temba Bavuma was relieved to see his team showing the determination required to bounce back, winning the second Test against Australia by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha on Thursday and levelling the series at 1-1 with one match to play.

After a slow start to the second Test due to rain delays, the SA team found themselves struggling at 110/6 in their second innings on day three.

However, once it dried up, Bavuma compiled a career-best 179, and he was well backed by all-rounder Marco Jansen (85) and tail-ender Simon Harmer (82) as they eventually declared at 425/9 in the final session on day three.

Jansen then shone, taking 5/33, as the tourists were bowled out for 99 in their first innings on day four, before Kagiso Rabada (4/77) and Wiaan Mulder (3/64) led the charge to dismiss the Baggy Greens for 295 in the last session of the match, wrapping up an impressive victory.

“I think it was very much a spirited effort from us,” said Bavuma, who was named Player of the Match.

“A lot was asked of us after the first Test in Durban, and I think the biggest one was the character or the mentality of the team, and I think over the course of the five days we’ve definitely spoken well to that.

“So from a batting point of view, from a bowling point of view, when things got tough we managed to dig deep, stay in the game and most importantly get the result in our favour.”

Enough depth to replace Nortje

Bavuma admitted they were disappointed to lose injury-prone fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who left the field during Australia’s first innings with a groin niggle.

He felt they had perhaps taken too much of a risk by playing Nortje in both the first two matches, after the paceman had gone more than three years without playing a first-class game or a Test.

The skipper was confident they had enough depth in their squad, however, to replace the speedster for the series decider starting in Cape Town on Tuesday.

“That’s a big loss for us. We know what an extra dimension he adds to our bowling attack. I think that one we do have to take it upon ourselves that we probably took a risk by allowing Ana (Nortje) to play two games in a row.

“In terms of who might come, obviously we will go to Cape Town and see what’s happening there. You’ve got guys like Gerald (Coetzee) on the wings, Pato (Dane Paterson), as well as (Corbin) Bosch, and we have Sen (Senuran Muthusamy) as well, so the options are there.

“Whoever we decide after we get to Cape Town, we’ll be confident they form part of our best XI for those conditions.”