Spin to win? SA captain Bavuma banking on spinners to upset India
Bengaluru: South African captain Temba Bavuma does not foresee the upcoming Test series against India become an easier assignment due to retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but he feels his team has a stronger chance of winning on these shores after 25 years thanks to its quality spin attack.
The Bavuma-led South Africans will be aiming to register the first series win against India since Hansie Cronje’s band conquered the sub-continent in 1999-2000 season. The two-match rubber begins November 14 in Kolkata.
“I think as a South African team, I don’t think we’ve won a Test series here in India for a long time. So, I think there’s a massive opportunity there and I think there’s a big target on our backs as a South African Test team. I think there’s expectation on us (as world champions),” Bavuma said during a select media interaction ahead of the second four-day game between India A and South Africa A.
India might be without stalwarts Kohli, Rohit and R Ashwin, but Bavuma has not missed the sterling effort of a young team in England recently when it tied the five-match series 2-2.
“It’s always tough playing in India. You’ve seen the young talent that has come in. The guys come in, they are all filling the boots. It is a big task,” Bavuma said.
“Those guys you mentioned have performed over a number of years for India, and they’ve put India on the map of where they are. But yeah, we’ll prepare as well as we can, understand the challenges that we’ll find here, and strive to put our best foot forward,” Bavuma said.
One of the weaknesses that Bavuma would like to exploit is Indian batters’ recent discomfort against quality spin. Their travails against New Zealand spinners last year have not escaped his eyes. “Bowling has always been a strength of ours as a team. Now, we’re probably even better poised with those spin resources. We have Tristan Stubbs as well, if we do need another off-spinner, he can come in with something different,” he noted. agencies
