Feels like we are starting again and again as a team: Bavuma

Outside the big three—England, Australia, and India—Test cricket is a gift for the other teams, only reserved for festivities. It is one of the major talking points every year on the international cricketing calendar, with sides such as the West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand hardly playing red-ball cricket. 

The trend has continued this year as well, with the upcoming Test series against the West Indies being their first Test series since February and the first Test series since January in which a full-fledged team has participated. Ahead of their series against the Caribbean nation, South African skipper Temba Bavuma was vocal about the sporadic nature of Test cricket for the Proteas. 

"It's a challenge that's not necessarily unique to us and probably something that all the teams outside the big three face. It feels like we're starting again and again as a team," Temba Bavuma said ahead of the Test series. 

"You can hear in terms of the conversations, there's a lot of reminding ourselves of a philosophy, how we want to play and basically what our blueprint is to winning. It's nothing that is unique to us as a South African team . The challenge is we've just got to make it work with what we have. We don't use it as an excuse. I think there's definitely a lot of excitement from the guys and we'd like to focus on that excitement more than all the other uncontrollables,” he added. 

While personally, for Bavuma, it was a period of relaxation and refreshment, given that he hasn’t played much cricket over the last three months, he’s ready to give it all back to South African cricket. Mentally, though, the no-cricket period has been tough for the South African Test captain. 

"I've come out refreshed over the last couple of months of no cricket. It's largely been about being in the gym and doing my rehab. I've been under rehab for the last two and a half to three months," he said. 

"Mentally, that's been tough; physically, it's also been tough but I am quite refreshed and quite excited to have the opportunity again to be out there with the boys."

Since Dean Elgar’s retirement from the longest format, the onus has now shifted to Bavuma to spearhead this Proteas batting unit. While Aiden Markram has been excellent at the top of the order, Bavuma, too, has moved up the order, with a lot of focus on his batting. 

"It's a responsibility. In my Test career, I've always found myself at No.6 or No.5 but I think now with the responsibility coming in, wanting to step up, wanting to score big runs, that opportunity comes in nicely at No.4," he said.

South Africa’s annual contract saw some shockers, with Anrich Nortje opting out of red-ball cricket while Marco Jansen has been rested for the upcoming series. If that wasn’t enough, Gerald Coetzee’s injury sees the Proteas team looking at the likes of Nandre Burger to play a huge role in the bowling attack. 

"Obviously, it's a setback. We build our fast bowling attack on our fast bowlers. We'll still find a way to be effective in those conditions. Guys like KG, Lungi (Ngidi) and Nandre Burger - it's a massive opportunity for them again to put up their hands and lead that bowling attack," Bavuma said.

South Africa will kick-off the red-ball series against West Indies on August 7 (Wednesday) at the Queen’s Park Oval before the second Test on August 15.

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