After their failure in the second innings of Vizag Test, South African batsmen once again faltered under pressure in the first innings of second Test against India in Pune.
In reply to India’s colossal 601/5 (declared), the visitors got bowled out for 275 on Day 3. Barring captain Faf du Plessis (64), none of the top seven batters managed to touch the 50-run mark. In fact, four of them got out in a single digit.
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Notably, Indian bowlers struggled to get the Proteas tailenders out. Keshav Maharaj (72) and Vernon Philander (44*) shared a 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket to take the innings till the last over of the day.
Hence, top-order batsman Temba Bavuma can feel his ego somewhat dented.
"Look, from the guys at the top of the order, entrusted with scoring the bulk of the runs, it does kind of hurt. It does dent your ego when they (lower-order) seem to know how to go out and fight it out to do what you're really playing to do," Bavuma told reporters at the end of the third day's play.
"I think looking forward to the second innings, there is a lot of confidence we can take in from the fact that it is not all demons out there. We just got to find a way to dominate with the bat just as India have done so," he added.
Bavuma couldn’t pinpoint why South Africa's top-order minus Dean Elgar in the first Test has consistently failed in three successive innings.
"I don't have the answers to why it is going wrong. The obvious one is that we're not able to put up partnerships. We have not been able to absorb and sustain the pressure that Indian bowlers have put on us for consistent periods of time. That is obviously something we will try to rectify."
He revealed that interim coach Enoch Nkwe did an honest evaluation of the side's batting performance.
"We had an honest and truthful chat with the coach. He gave us his true feelings, his true thoughts on our effort on the last two days. He was really critical of our effort. Basically he said all that has happened we have got to find a way."
Sounding a bit optimist, Bavuma eventually said this South African team is not here to make up numbers but compete hard.
"We have not come to India to lose. We have not necessarily come to India to learn. We have come to India to compete and win. That is what our goal is."
"Yes, we have not done it in the first Test. We have not been able to do it here in the first two and a half days, but there is an opportunity to do it going forward. As I said, there is a responsibility for us to stake our claim and do everyone justice."
(With PTI inputs)
