HEART OF A GIANT: SKIPPER BAVUMA RISES TO OCCASION

JUST after the first hour on Day One, there was an incident involving Jasprit Bumrah and Temba Bavuma. After an appeal for leg-before was not upheld, the pacer was discussing whether to take DRS. During that discussion, Bumrah, in passing, used the word ‘bauna’. Dwarf.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

Bavuma’s frame may be small but he has the hallmarks of a champion. Across three sessions on Saturday and Sunday, sandwiched by stumps, the man from Langa rose to the occasion. Again. Even as his colleagues came and went, he stuck to his principles, tried to keep the scoreboard moving, trusted his partners when rotating strike and showed exemplary technique on how to bat — survive, really — on a pitch which should make it to the next edition of minesweeper. Survival wasn’t a matter of if but when and some of the batters wanted to get ahead of the eight ball before a ball with their name on it came along.