Temba Bavuma could not bring himself to watch the most pivotal moment of the final day in Gqeberha, turning his back to the action as his nerves jingled with anxiety.
Courtesy of a superb century from Travis Head and the stoic defence from Scott Boland, Australia had fought their way to a position where they might be able to save the Test.
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Head was gone but at the crease was Steve Smith, the superstar Australian batsman capable of magical things. Snare him and the South Africans were effectively home, even with the clouds gathering in the distance and the light threatening to fade.
So when Smith, who had already received a life, top-edged an attempted pull off a short-pitched delivery from his nemesis Kagiso Rabada towards Matthew Breetzke at mid-wicket, a golden chance beckoned.
But as Breetzke tried to position himself under a highball moving sideways due to the heavy gale that was blowing, Bavuma turned his back to the action. And the footage of him looking the other way has gone viral.
Former Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris said in commentary: “He was like a football goalkeeper not watching the penalty on the other side.”
Bavuma was asked about the moment post-match.
“I was very nervous at that time,” he said.
“I think high catching here at St George’s can be a bit tough, especially when the wing is blowing like that. I couldn’t see who was under the catch, so (it was) definitely not a case of me not having any faith in that individual.
“Again, it just felt like a big moment in the game. Steve Smith, we know what an important cog he is within their batting line-up, but also just the game in itself, the clouds were coming in.
“So … I think I kind of allowed my emotions to get the better of me there.”
But the South African captain was delighted by the manner with which the Proteas seized the initiative to turn around the second Test in Gqeberha after falling to 6-110 early on the third day of a rain-marred match in the port city.
Having dropped the series opening match between the world’s two top-ranked teams by 214 runs in Durban, South Africa needed to perform at St George’s Park in order to keep their series hopes alive and Bavuma led from the front.
After making 179 in a superb innings, the Proteas skipper was able to call on the South African attack to maintain the pressure on the tourists, which they did with distinction when bowling Australia out for 99 in the first innings.
Despite losing venomous quick Anrich Nortje to injury on Thursday, returning superstar Kagiso Rabada combined brilliantly with the superb Marco Jansen and quality seamer Wiaan Mulder to bowl the Proteas to an innings and 31 run win.
Bavuma loved the way the South Africans took the fight to Australia, with Jansen notably targeting the tourists with a verbal barrage in the midst of routing them on Wednesday.
“I think for us as a team, right, we just probably look at things a lot more internally in terms of what has allowed us to play well, and I think part of it is being aggressive in situations,” he said.
“(It is) not necessarily about having to have a word with the opposition or look for fights, but to be aggressive in how we approach it, look for opportunities to make a play for the team and be ruthless in doing so.
“There’s obviously certain individuals within the team who enjoy a little argy bargy, and I mean you allow those guys to go about doing that … within obviously the rules.
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“And from the Australians, I guess there was a little bit more verbal chatter about it, but from our side, honestly, I don’t think we approached it any differently.”
The presence of Rabada was clearly a factor in South Africa’s improvement, with Bavuma crediting the Proteas talisman for the responsibility he assumes for the team as the strike bowler.
Rabada secured six wickets in his first Test in a year, with four in the second innings, in an impressive return after suffering a hamstring injury in August.
“KG is of massive value, right, on and off the field,” he said.
“When he’s on the field, he assumes that responsibility and pressure of leading the attack and I believe it allows everyone else to go out and do what they need to do.
“(It was) kind of like Marco in the first innings, him taking a five fa’, and then in the second innings, with all the other guys coming in and Wiaan Mulder with crucial wickets there.
“So, I mean, that’s what a leader does, right? KG is not a big guy in terms of speeches. He’ll speak whenever he sees fit. But I think you know, with the figure that he is, he is inspiring in a lot of ways.”
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The South Africans will need to find a replacement for Nortje, who had impressed in Durban and in Gqeberha before suffering a soft-tissue problem.
But Bavuma said the confidence gleaned from a brilliant fightback in the Eastern Cape coastal town will stand them in good stead for the series decider.
“A lot was stacked against us as a team, coming here one-nil into the series,” he said.
“The responsibility, or the pressure of us keeping the series alive and batting first in those conditions (and) being a bowler down as well (was significant). “But I guess in the end, through the spirited effort or fight, we were able to get the result.
“We will take the confidence and belief from this performance (and) hopefully it serves us well in the third and last Test.”
