South African batsman Temba Bavuma
Albert Perez/Getty Images
- Proteas Test vice-captain Temba Bavuma admitted that his batsmen in Australia had been below par.
- The Proteas were dismissed for 189 and 204, respectively, to lose the second Test by an innings and 182 runs.
- Bavuma said they have not done themselves justice on this tour.
Proteas Test vice-captain Temba Bavuma has admitted his batsmen have not been good enough on their current tour of Australia.
South Africa slipped to an innings, 182-run defeat in the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Bavuma, who recorded his 20th Test 50 when he made 65 in the second innings, said Australia had asked them questions from Test matches that they were unable to answer in this Test series and England a few months ago.
South Africa’s woeful reply of 204 in their second innings against Australia was the first time they had crossed 200 in eight tries.
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However, it came when their hosts had already amassed 575/8 declared after they defeated South Africa 189 on day one.
Bavuma admitted that Australia had shown them.
“To be brutally honest, as a hitting group, we haven’t been good enough,” Bavuma said.
“That was the case in England too, where, as a batting group, we were shown. I wasn’t in England, but I watched.”
“We have come to Australia, they have asked questions and we have not had the answers for them. In my little cricket experience, it is difficult to play in England, India and Australia.”
“It was tough in England and it was tough in Australia, so there are a lot of questions to be answered, but we just haven’t been good enough.
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Bavuma, who crossed 50 for the first time in the series after two unconverted starts in the first Test in Brisbane, followed by failure in the first innings in Melbourne, said the game had not done themselves justice.
The Test series was Bavuma’s first after missing the entire England tour with injury, with his decent batting return silencing doubters after his terrible T20 run.
“The way we came out as a team is disappointing. It wasn’t what we prepared for as a team and it doesn’t do justice to the work we’ve put in,” Bavuma said.
“We had a lot of success on previous tours and things went well, while the guys on the field did a lot of good.
“It’s quite difficult to pinpoint that and it’s quite disappointing.”
