London (AFP) – After skipper Temba Bavuma’s courageous performance on Friday put the Proteas on the verge of winning the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s, South Africa’s batting guru Ashwell Prince said the batsman was nearing a “defining moment” in his career. Despite sustaining a hamstring pain early in his innings, the hobbling Bavuma provided excellent assistance for the opener, Aiden Markram, who led the way with an undefeated century. At the end of Friday’s third day, South Africa defeated Australia 213-2 thanks to their unbroken 143-run partnership. The Proteas now need just 69 more runs to reach the victory mark of 282. Prince explained the decision to let Bavuma to continue batting rather than retire injured, saying, “It was a tough call because of how it could effect Temba’s stroke-play and Aiden’s rhythm, but both were emphatic that he must continue.” After making his debut in 2014 and becoming the first black African batter to represent the Proteas in Test cricket, Bavuma has been under greater scrutiny than usual. However, Prince claimed that by persevering through the pain barrier on Friday, the 35-year-old had demonstrated his leadership abilities. “This could be Temba’s defining moment, but he has had to fight throughout his career.” Prince, a former batter for South Africa, noted that the team’s management always trusted the elegant Markram, who was dismissed in the first innings.
He remarked, “He is someone for the big occasion,” “We are aware of his abilities.” “Yet to be done.” South Africa’s performance in the T20 World Cup and one-day internationals has been disappointing for decades. However, they now have a chance to win a major final for the first time since winning the Champions Trophy precursor, the 1998 ICC Knockout. Prince stressed, “The most important thing for us is to be in the moment.” “It is not finished yet.” Earlier, as the WTC champions appeared to have a sizable lead, South Africa had difficulty taking Australia’s last wicket. In contrast to the first two days, when 28 wickets were lost, Prince claimed South Africa found some solace in the way Mitchell Starc (58 not out) and Josh Hazlewood (17) stayed strong until just before lunch on Friday on a track that was getting better for batting. “We believed it may be in our favor if their numbers nine, ten, and eleven could seem relatively comfortable,” Prince said, adding that it was disheartening. Although the former New Zealand captain pointed out that the weather in northwest London had altered significantly due to the sun, Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori said Markram had been “outstanding” on Friday.
“The wicket was not too bad. “Compared to other games here, the bounce is lower and the surface is slow,” Vettori remarked. “Scoring has been challenging, but South Africa took advantage of the circumstances and put pressure on us again with their running, crucial partnerships, and field analysis skills. “Taking eight wickets for 70 is a tremendous challenge, but our aim is that we can manage a wicket or two in the morning and see how it looks.”