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Why is Temba Bavuma not playing in 1st unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A?

Abhinav Tyagi

Temba Bavuma for South Africa - (Source: AFP)Temba Bavuma for South Africa - (Source: AFP)

On Thursday, October 30, India A and South Africa A locked horns in the first unofficial Test at the BCCI centre of excellence in Bengaluru. The Rishabh Pant-led side won the toss and opted to field first. 

The major absentee from the 1st unofficial Test was Temba Bavuma, who was set to mark his return to cricket with the ongoing game. Notably, the South Africa skipper has been out of action because of a calf strain and was added to the Proteas A squad for the India A challenge.

However, the fans were surprised to see no signs of Bavuma in the first match and were concerned about another injury or a relapse. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on why the right-handed batter is not part of the playing XI in the ongoing match in Bengaluru.

Why is Temba Bavuma not part of the playing XI

Notably, the Proteas skipper is yet to arrive from South Africa and will join the team for the 2nd Test. At present, Bavuma is back home and practising in the nets. The 35-year-old took to Instagram to reveal his whereabouts, and it confirmed that the star opener is yet to arrive.

Temba is now eying the game practice with the 2nd unofficial Test on November 6 and then set to lead the Proteas for a two-match Test series against India. The upcoming series will mark South Africa's 2nd Test series in this new cycle. The first one was against Pakistan, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Talking about the ongoing match, South Africa A are going strong against India A and have put 129/1 after 33.3 overs.