"The match disparity is there, but it's not an excuse" - Temba Bavuma on South Africa's poor batting display against India
South Africa middle-order batter Temba Bavuma has said that a lack of match practice led to his team's poor batting display in the first Test against India in Centurion.
Playing only their sixth Test in 12 months, South Africa were bowled out for 197 in response to India's first-innings total of 327. The Proteas last played a Test in June when they toured the West Indies.
Stumps in Centurion 🏏
India lose Mayank Agarwal late in the day but are in a commanding position after a brilliant effort from their pacers.
#WTC23 | #SAvIND https://t.co/cHXo237kGM
While a few of their players featured in First-Class games, others didn't. Bavuma, who top-scored with 52, didn't put that as an excuse for South Africa's poor display. However, he did admit that there is no substitute for match practice, saying:
"I don't want to be accused of making excuses for my teammates, but the lack of match readiness does have an impact. As much as we had India at 272/3, I don't believe it was the standard that we can play at, and one of the factors is the lack of match intensity."
"We can have as many nets as we can, but nothing simulates going out on the field. The match disparity is there, but it's not an excuse. We have to find a way to be up for it and be up against the challenge," Bavuma told News24.com.
The Proteas did concede a hefty lead, but they did well to restrict India to 327 after the visitors had resumed proceedings on 272-3. Lungi Ngidi's six-wicket burst ensured India couldn't bat South Africa out of the game despite being in a dominant position.
"Mohammed Shami is a world-class bowler" - Temba Bavuma
Bavuma, one of the five victims of Mohammed Shami, hailed the right-arm seamer, and underlined the need for compact defence against bowlers like him. The 31-year old didn't shy away from crediting Shami, saying:
"He's a world-class bowler, and we've seen him do this around the world, so it's something that we expect from him. As batters, we have to front up and back our defences as best as we can, and if he bowls a good ball, kudos to him."
"The one thing we want to cut out from our first innings are the soft dismissals, but if a guy is bowling good balls and getting guys out, credit to him."
India lead by 146 runs, with nine wickets in hand.
Stumps in Centurion 🏏
India lose Mayank Agarwal late in the day but are in a commanding position after a brilliant effort from their pacers.
#WTC23 | #SAvIND https://t.co/cHXo237kGM
With only two days left in the game, the visitors will look to avoid another batting collapse as they eye a first series win on South African soil.