Virat Kohli in action for India, as Proteas wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock looks on, during the first ODI in Paarl. Picture: Gallo Images
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma was spoton when summing up the national cricket team’s stunning 3-0 whitewash of India in the ODI series, following the 2-1 triumph in the Test series.
Nobody, said Bavuma, gave us a chance. Well, perhaps not nobody … but there were few people who would have put money on Bavuma and his team. When the Test series got off to the worst possible start – a 133-run thrashing by the Indians – the prophets of doom – of whom there are many in the ranks of South African sports fans – were crowing that they were right.
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Turning that situation around was a magnificent achievement and spoke as much to the team’s mental fortitude as it did to its physical talent. In both formats, there were stars, surprises and disappointments as the advantage see-sawed between both teams multiple times.
Though the Proteas took both formats, this was close, hard-fought cricket at its best. Even more noteworthy is that the triumph took place against the destabilising background of Cricket South Africa playing its own, “photo-opportunity” publicity game, with its ill-timed announcements about disciplinary hearings in the future for events well in the past.
Bavuma and the boys proved they are better than the politics – of all kinds.
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