Proteas Temba Bavuma says they simply have to blaas the West Indies weg in the second and final Test which starts at the Providence Stadium in Guyana at 4pm today.
South Africa were perhaps robbed of a win by Mother Nature in the first Test, when rain washed away six of the 15 sessions to steer the match to a draw.
Of the importance of getting a positive result this time around, Bavuma says: “It is important to be honest, like any other game.
“If I look at our goal before we got here, it was to win the series and we have to do so in the next game.
“We can’t control the weather and other elements, but we can control how we rock up.”
After scoring his 3 000th Test run in the last Test with scores of 86 and 15*, the Langa-born 34-year-old believes his game is on the up and that is backed up by the stats.
Captain Temba🫡
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 13, 2024
Our captain put in some good work with the bat and led our team throughout the first test.
More of the same to come in the 2nd Test Match!👊#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/A3jFHqkBbA
Bavuma got his first 1 000 runs in 23 Tests, his second in 21 and his third in just 14 matches.
When asked if this is an indication that he is a better player now, he says: “The stats would suggest that I’m a lot more comfortable with my game and have a better understanding of my game in the last couple of years.
“Obviously super happy to achieve another milestone – the dream was always just to represent my country, so these milestones feel like a bonus.
“But yes, it does feel like I understand my game a lot better.”