Bavuma’s Plan to Conquer India as Captain Returns

Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa’s Test squad in their upcoming two-match World Test Championship series in India next month. The captain returns after recovering from a calf strain that sidelined him during South Africa’s recent series in Pakistan.

Bavuma previously guided the Proteas to a World Test Championship final victory over Australia in London this past June. In his absence, Aiden Markram took over captaincy duties as South Africa split the two-Test series in Pakistan.

Under Bavuma’s leadership, South Africa has enjoyed remarkable success in the longest format. The team remains unbeaten across his ten Tests as captain, securing nine victories and one draw.

Squad Composition and Spin Focus

Cricket South Africa announced a 15-player squad largely consistent with the group that toured Pakistan. The selection includes three frontline spinners: Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthusamy. This spin trio proved highly effective in Pakistan, combining for 33 wickets.

As detailed in the complete version, there are several key factors to consider.

Notable changes see off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen dropped, despite his involvement in the first Test against Pakistan. Durham batsman David Bedingham also makes way for the returning captain Bavuma.

Preparing for Indian Conditions

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad praised the team’s resilience after they rebounded from an initial Test loss to level the series in Pakistan. He emphasized that similar challenges await in India, where conditions are expected to favor spin bowling.

“We are expecting a similar challenge in India and many of the players who stood up for us in those conditions will again be key for us,” Conrad stated. He described the Pakistan performance as a “squad effort” and stressed that maintaining competitiveness in India would require contributions from every player.

The World Test Championship fixtures are scheduled for November 14-18 in Kolkata and November 22-26 in Guwahati. South Africa’s squad features a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talent as they continue their World Test Championship campaign under Temba Bavuma’s leadership.

Full Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt).