Temba Bavuma Reflects on South Africa's ODI Loss to India

In a post-match reflection, South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma discussed the team's shortcomings in the final ODI against India. He emphasized the need for smarter batting strategies and acknowledged the challenges posed by India's bowlers. Despite a strong performance from Quinton de Kock, the team's inability to build partnerships ultimately led to their defeat. Bavuma's insights shed light on the lessons learned and the potential for growth among the young players in the squad. Discover more about the match dynamics and Bavuma's thoughts on the series.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 7, 2025, 02:15 IST

Bavuma Analyzes Defeat in Final ODI

In Visakhapatnam, South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma acknowledged that his team fell short in the third and final ODI against India due to insufficient runs on the scoreboard. During the post-match presentation, Bavuma remarked that batting conditions improved under the lights, but emphasized the need for his team to be more strategic during the middle overs to avoid losing easy wickets that increased their pressure.

Bavuma expressed disappointment, stating, "We aimed to make the match more thrilling, but the reality is we didn't set a competitive total. As seen throughout the series, batting becomes easier at night with the ball skidding. We need to be smarter; losing wickets cheaply puts us under immense pressure. While we bowled well initially, the lack of scoreboard pressure allowed India to play more freely. Ultimately, the Indian team showcased their quality, and I commend them for that."

He pointed out that while the team had successfully tackled spinners in the first two ODIs, the conditions were different this time, and losing wickets in clusters hindered their ability to form partnerships. Bavuma noted that getting bowled out in a 50-over match was particularly disappointing, especially since Quinton de Kock managed to score a century while others, including Bavuma, could not capitalize on their starts.

Bavuma reflected, "We could have approached the game more intelligently. In the first two ODIs, we prided ourselves on our ability to take on spinners. However, today’s conditions were not conducive to that strategy. Losing wickets like we did made it challenging to build partnerships, and getting bowled out is never ideal in a 50-over format. While Quinton scored over a hundred, I lost my rhythm, making it tough for the team. We need to learn from this experience and be smarter moving forward."

He also mentioned that South Africa has several young players eager to adopt a positive approach and challenge their opponents. Bavuma stated, "We have young talent in our squad, and we often discuss our intent to take the game to the opposition. We did that to some extent, but facing India's quality spinners is always a tough task."

In the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl first, limiting South Africa to 270 runs in 47.5 overs. After losing an early wicket, Quinton de Kock (106) and Temba Bavuma (48) formed a solid 113-run partnership. However, despite contributions from Breetzke, Brevis, and Jansen, South Africa collapsed from a promising position of 234/5, thanks to impressive bowling performances from Prasidh Krishna (4/66) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/41).

India chased down the target comfortably in 39.5 overs, with Rohit Sharma (75) and Yashasvi Jaiswal establishing a strong 155-run opening partnership. Jaiswal (116*) and Virat Kohli (65*) then added another century partnership, securing a decisive series-clinching victory.