‘We have a strong desire to get the better of them’: South Africa’s Bavuma ahead of Australia Test

New Delhi, Oct 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma expects another fiercely contested battle against Australia when the two sides begin their Test series in Durban on Friday, with the Proteas looking to build on their World Test Championship triumph.

South Africa defeated Australia in the 2025 WTC Final at Lord’s to claim the title and will now face the reigning world champions in a home series as they look to strengthen their position in the 2025-27 WTC cycle.

Bavuma believes the rivalry brings out the competitive edge in both teams and expects another intense contest.

“When you play against Australia, you don’t just play against those individuals; you play against what it means to be Australian. It’s always a clash we look forward to. It tends to at least bring out the competitive edge of both teams. We have a strong desire to get the better of them,” Bavuma told Cricinfo. “We give them a lot of respect, but we also take confidence in that we’ve been able to get the better of them. The respect lies in the fact that they’ve been very dominant over the years,” he added.

South Africa’s memorable WTC final victory came after they overcame a 74-run first-innings deficit, with Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada playing key roles in securing the title.

Bavuma, who battled an injury during the final, said the team has developed the resilience required to remain competitive even when faced with difficult circumstances.

The Proteas have also strengthened their pace attack for the Australia series, with Anrich Nortje returning to Test cricket after more than three years and Gerald Coetzee making his comeback after a two-year absence. They will join Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen in the squad. “Part of it is bringing back the aspect of fast bowlers. Countries or players must know when they come into South Africa, they’re going to deal with fast bowling,” Bavuma said.

The captain believes the upcoming season could prove particularly important for South Africa, with the team set to face Australia, England and other major challenges ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup on home soil.

“Every season always feels like a big season, and maybe this one feels a little bit more. I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on myself to say or define who I am as a cricketer. I’ve had over ten years of international cricket, and you’d hate to think that one moment will dictate everything about it,” he said.

“But this year we’ve got the opportunity to play against the big three teams, and, from a competitive point of view, that’s definitely going to get us going. We want to see ourselves on the right side of the result,” Bavuma added.

The South Africa skipper also acknowledged that Australia remain a formidable opponent despite changes in their approach. “They’re not as in-your-face. They still play their cricket hard. They’ve still got guys like Travis Head at the top, who look to put you under pressure. And then they still have that quartet of a bowling attack always putting you under pressure,” he said.

“But they’re probably not as brash and in your face as I think of 2016, when we toured Australia. They made you feel uncomfortable. From a cricketing point of view, they haven’t lost a great deal. It’s still as tough as Australia that we know,” he added.

South Africa and Australia will face off in the first Test in Durban from October 9, with Bavuma setting his sights on a period of sustained success across formats. “To win everything. To find ourselves in the WTC final, to find ourselves in the 50-over final, then who knows? The way we’ve performed, it shows that anything is possible. We just need to believe, and we just need to work diligently towards it,” he said.

Source: IANS