Durban [South Africa], October 7 (ANI): South African skipper Temba Bavuma is expecting an intense contest against Australia in the three-match Test series starting from October 9 onwards. He also reflected on his decade-long journey in international cricket so far, saying that he is "feeding into the aspirations" he and his team have and wants to make sure they are all on the right path.
The reigning ICC World Test Championship champions are back in action and they have some huge challenges upfront. After conquering India, South Africa face a major test at home when Australia arrive for a crucial series. For Bavuma, the stakes extend beyond the immediate Test series. Over the next 12 months, the Proteas have the chance to establish themselves as a force across formats, with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 also approaching on home soil.
First up is Australia, a rivalry that has consistently brought out the best in both sides. The teams have played nine Test series against each other over the last 20 years, with four wins apiece and one draw. Their most recent meeting came in the 2025 WTC Final, where South Africa produced a memorable performance to lift the title.
Bavuma expects another intense contest.
"When you play against Australia, you do not just play against those individuals, you play against what it means to be Australian," Bavuma told Cricinfo, as quoted by ICC.
"It is always a clash we look forward to. It tends to at least bring out the competitive edge of both teams. We have a strong desire to get the better of them.
"We give them a lot of respect but we also take confidence in that we have been able to get the better of them. The respect lies in the fact that they have been very dominant over the years."
"On the field itself, there will be massive moments and massive clashes. Their batting attack, our bowling attack, their bowling attack versus what our batting attack can do - there are opportunities for guys to take each other on and really make the play for the team. The WTC final showed that," he added.
That victory at Lord's was particularly significant for South Africa. After being challenged over their route to the final, they overcame a 74-run first-innings deficit and an injury to Bavuma to chase down the second-highest successful fourth-innings total at the venue.
It was another reminder of a quality that has become increasingly important to this South African side: the ability to stay in the contest when circumstances turn against them.
"Part of it is bringing back the aspect of fast bowlers. Countries or players must know when they come into South Africa, they are going to deal with fast bowling," Bavuma said.
South Africa have backed that philosophy with their squad for the Australia series, albeit facing many injury issues. Anrich Nortje returns to Test cricket after more than three years away, while Gerald Coetzee is also back after a two-year absence. They join Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen in an attack capable of bringing pace and aggression to a series expected to be closely fought.
For Bavuma, though, the next year carries significance well beyond this particular contest.
South Africa will be looking to defend their position in the WTC race while preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be played on home soil in October and November. The Wanderers in Johannesburg will host the final, adding another layer to what could be a defining period for the captain and his team.
Bavuma has already spent more than a decade in international cricket, but believes this season offers an opportunity unlike many that have come before.
"I have done some introspection on everything and tried to understand why we have been able to get the success that we have had and looked at areas that we can improve. I am also trying to feed into the aspirations and ambitions that we have as a team and that I have personally, and make sure that we are on the right path towards all that," said the SA skipper.
"Every season always feels like a big season and maybe this one feels a little bit more. I wouldn't want to put too much pressure on myself to say or define who I am as a cricketer. I have had over ten years of international cricket, and you would hate to think that one moment will dictate everything about it."
"But this year we have got the opportunity to play against the big three teams and, from a competitive point of view, that's definitely going to get us going. We want to see ourselves on the right side of the result," he explained.
The Australia rivalry also brings back memories for Bavuma. He was part of the 2018 series that became infamous for the ball-tampering scandal, joining the contest for the Cape Town Test after recovering from a broken finger before making an unbeaten 95 in Johannesburg.
"At Newlands, I struggled to adapt to the intensity and pace of play [scoring 1 and 5] and obviously went to the Wanderers [for the fourth Test] under pressure from a form point of view," Bavuma said.
He came close to a century in that fourth Test but was left unbeaten on 95.
"I would have loved to get to the three-figure mark and add to the only ton that I had in Test cricket at the time."
South Africa have since met Australia twice, losing 2-0 in Australia during the 2022-23 cycle away from home before reversing the result when it mattered most in the 2025 WTC Final.
Bavuma feels Australia remain just as difficult an opponent, even if the character of the team has evolved.
"They are not as in-your-face. They still play their cricket hard. They have still got guys like Travis Head at the top, who look to put you under pressure. And then they still have that quartet of a bowling attack always putting you under pressure. But they are probably not as brash and in your face as if I think of 2016, when we toured Australia. They made you feel uncomfortable," he said.
"From a cricketing point of view, they have not lost a great deal. It is still as tough as the Australia that we know," he added.
South Africa, meanwhile, have developed a greater belief of their own. Recent results have given the team confidence, particularly after their success in the subcontinent. They drew 1-1 in Pakistan before beating India 2-0, recording a first Test series victory in India in 25 years.
"There will always be questions around whether we are deserving, so for us to be able to go there and achieve that historic feat strengthened the belief in ourselves. We just kind of tightened that title that we currently have as the [WTC] champions," Bavuma said.
After almost two years without a home Test, South Africa are also looking forward to reconnecting with their supporters.
The Australia series is therefore more than another chapter in a long-running rivalry. It is the beginning of a period in which South Africa can challenge themselves against the world's leading teams, build on their WTC triumph and prepare for a home World Cup.
Bavuma's ambitions for the period are as big as the opportunity itself.
"To win everything. To find ourselves in the WTC final, to find ourselves in the 50-over final, then who knows? The way we have performed, it shows that anything is possible. We just need to believe, and we just need to work diligently towards it." (ANI)
"From cricketing point of view, they haven't lost a great deal": SA skipper Bavuma expects intensity during home Australia Tests
