OPINION: Bavuma proving he can score big while leading from the front

Temba Bavuma has often been praised by coaches and teammates for his leadership abilities, but as a specialist batter the Proteas skipper must have been frustrated by his lengthy struggle to convert fifties into centuries.

Bavuma hit his maiden ton in the five-day format in his seventh Test against England in Cape Town in January 2016.

However, between 2016 and 2023 he played 48 Tests without hitting a ton. During that period he made 19 half-centuries, and he went beyond 90 on two occasions, but he repeatedly fell short of ending his drought.

In March last year, however, facing West Indies at the Wanderers, he contributed a career-best 172, finally reaching his second career hundred. And that performance seemed to trigger a run of form which has seen him scoring two half-centuries and one ton in his last three Tests.

While he was lauded for his third career ton last week, after joining Tristan Stubbs in a double-hundred stand in the second innings against Sri Lanka in Durban, his 70-run contribution in the Proteas’ first innings was equally impressive as he led a recovery which ultimately paved the way to a dominant win for his team.

Juggling dual roles

The challenges of juggling dual roles as an international captain cannot be overstated, and having to handle all the responsibilities as skipper – team meetings, media commitments and on-field leadership – can no doubt be draining.

First and foremost, however, Bavuma is a cricketer, and like all experienced professional athletes, he will always want to lead from the front.

He has made valuable contributions with the bat throughout his career, and there is more to the game than hitting centuries, but his shortage of Test tons did leave somewhat of a blemish on his career statistics.

Looking comfortable at the crease in recent games, he looks to be finding some of his best form with the bat, and he’ll be pleased to have proved he can handle more pressure than that which he faces as captain.

He can also follow through after getting off to a start at the crease, and he can make big scores, which will be a relief to both the skipper and his team.