IND vs SA: "We Played Close To A Perfect Game" - Temba Bavuma After South Africa's Win In 1st ODI

South Africa won the first ODI against India by 31 runs in Paarl on Wednesday, January 19. In the process, they have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Temba Bavuma, the South African skipper was a happy man with the kind of effort his players put in to earn the victory. The second ODI will be played on January 21 at the same venue with both teams having to make a quick turnaround.

Temba Bavuma scored his second ODI ton, one which paved the way for the South African victory in the first ODI. Impressed by the performance from his players, the South African skipper said that they played the near-perfect game against a strong Indian side. He also said that partnership with Rassie Van der Dussen was key to shaping up the team’s victory.

We Can Take A Lot Of Confidence From This Game: Temba Bavuma

“We played close to a perfect game, that’s quite hard in 50-over cricket. We can take a lot of confidence. I struggled throughout the innings, Rassie seemed like batting on another wicket. That partnership was the decider. I tried to partner him as much as I could” said Bavuma.

Bavuma also had a word of praise for all his bowlers. Aiden Markram took the initial wicket of KL Rahul to give a big blow to the Indian chase early. The other bowlers then followed and took wickets at regular intervals to not allow India to run away with the chase. Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi and Andile Phehlukwayo took two wickets each as Markram and Maharaj took one each.

“Aiden is always an option with the ball, especially with the new ball. He’s been doing a fantastic job. Andile was good, he understood the situation. He knew what he needed to do. He’s a big player within the team. It’s good to see him take charge. Spinners have been great. Shamsi – we are trying to use him differently, using him at the death and he’s doing it well. Spinners have been good” added Bavuma.

Virat Kohli (51) and Shikhar Dhawan (79) had a 92-run stand for the second wicket. Once that partnership was broken, India never really recovered to get their chase back on track.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Virat Kohli Surpasses Sachin Tendulkar To Score Most Runs In Away ODIs For India