Guwahati, Nov 26 (LatestNewsX) – South Africa’s skipper Temba Bavuma cheered his side for the collective effort that clinched a historic 2‑0 Test series win in India. He said the triumph would lift the team’s confidence further.
During day five at Barsapara Cricket Ground, the South Africans won by an imposing 408 runs. Simon Harmer took nine wickets, while the batsmen provided the necessary runs, sealing their first Indian series victory in a quarter‑century.
“It’s massive. For me personally, been out of the game for a couple of months with injury. Not every day you can come to India and walk away with a 2‑0 series win. What’s special is we had dark days as a group and it’s a credit to them. There’s a big shift in our mindsets in terms of what we want to do,” Bavuma reflected after the match.
“I think our preparation is something – guys go out there looking to contribute. Anyone on their day can do it for their team – that’s the belief. As a team we are really in a good space. The way we performed here will grow our confidence even more,” he added.
Bavuma also highlighted Harmer’s turnaround since the disastrous 2015 campaign. “That’s a big thing, everyone wants to know where they stand. Guys want to be the man for their team. Everyone has contributed. We don’t see big 100s but we have got 4-5 guys contributing. I can go on and on about my team but yeah.”
“Simon has the experience of playing here in India in 2015, he complements Keshav quite well. Bit more guile with the ball, it’s a struggle to take the ball out of their hands. Simon was the man for us this series.”
Opening bat Aiden Markram, who made history with nine catches in a Test, praised the team’s adaptability to sub‑continental conditions. “It’s a great feeling, great effort from everyone. It’s not easy talk coming to India, in tough conditions that are foreign to us.”
“As a group you’ve got to believe you can complete against the best in their backyard, with a few moments of good luck along the way and bloody proud of the team. As a unit we’ve been pretty good to find ways to adjust to the conditions. A lot of chat was about spin, quality seamers with the new ball. It’s a big test of character coming here and winning.”
When asked about his record‑breaking nine‑match streak, Markram replied, “I didn’t know that, but credit go the bowlers and you try and catch them. It’s huge, obviously spinning the ball in different ways and the two of them (Harmer and Maharaj) getting it into the rough. You have to do that for long periods of time, credit to them.”
He admitted the opening was challenging but praised the lower order. “It was tough, to be honest and there was some grass on the wicket against quality seamers Siraj and Bumrah. The guys that came in after us showed us how to get a big score and made us proud.”
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