Bavuma performs when it matters: Record as captain makes SA ace India's biggest headache

Temba Bavuma [SuperSportTV/X.com]

South Africa's captain, Temba Bavuma, was once again in the thick of things for his team, as the Proteas faced a deadly spin-bowling attack from India at the Eden Gardens on Day 2 of the first Test.

Having gotten all out for an underwhelming 159 in the first innings, Simon Harmer pulled the visitors back in the match with a 4/30 (15.2), restricting India's lead to 30 runs.

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Bavuma's resolute display keeps Proteas alive on a brutal Kolkata pitch

Captain Bavuma only managed 3(11) in the first innings, as he handed a catch to Dhruv Jurel in the leg slip off Kuldeep Yadav on Day 1. However, when things got tougher and Ravindra Jadeja was in the middle of a lethal spell, he stood tall at the end to see out the day for his team.

After joining Wiaan Mulder at 25/2 in the 9th over, while no other batter managed to play more than 30 balls, he scored a gritty 29*(78) till the stumps. The wickets kept tumbling at the other end, but he took his team to 93/7, with a crucial day coming up.

However, this is not the first time Temba Bavuma has shown great leadership with the bat as South Africa's captain. Since taking over the responsibility, he has more often than not stepped up for his team with important runs in crucial phases of play. Here's a breakdown of his numbers as SA's captain.

Bavuma's stats as captain vs as player

(Temba Bavuma's performance as captain and non-captain)

Inference

While the Proteas skipper has faced a considerable amount of criticism for his underwhelming performances over the years, he has always shown glimpses of his quality.

What he previously struggled with was converting his starts. Since being named as the skipper, Bavuma has taken it upon himself to see his team through in precarious situations. His conversion rate has seen a rise from 13.79% to 37.5%, which has been a big testament to him taking up the responsibility.

Additionally, as he matured as a batter, he has also started to read the situations better, contrary to what the case was in the first half of his career. In a nutshell, his peak years as a batter have coincided with his tenure as the captain.

Conclusion

Since taking up the captaincy role, Bavuma has averaged 55.47 for the Proteas, racking up 3 centuries in 11 matches. His average is only second to Alan Melville among South Africa's captains. 

Bavuma notably also guided SA to their World Test Championship triumph with 66(134) and 36(84) earlier this year, and he will again be crucial on Day 3 of the Kolkata Test, if they fancy any chances of a win.

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