Temba Bavuma's viral reaction during Matthew Breetzke's juggling catch | PC- Screengrab
Catches win you matches. So was the case during the second Test match between South Africa and Australia at St George's Park, Gqeberha. The Temba Bavuma-led Proteas bagged an emphatic victory to level the series, with one more game to go.
Meanwhile, a wholesome video of Bavuma is making waves on social media, where the Proteas skipper, standing in the background, wasn't looking at Matthew Breetzke when he took a juggling catch to dismiss Steve Smith.
Fans on social media, and even the broadcasters, gently teased Bavuma, saying he had no faith in his fielder. However, the skipper defended himself by clarifying.
Temba Bavuma clarifies his reaction behind viral Steve Smith catch
While speaking to the the media, Temba Bavuma said he was nervous at the time, as high catches are comparatively tougher at the venue. Moreover, the wind factor was also a factor, as the video clearly showed Bavuma watching the wind vane.
"I was very nervous at that time. I think high catching here at St. George's can be a bit tough, especially when the wind is blowing like that. I couldn't see who was under the catch, so it was definitely not the case that I had no faith in that individual," Temba Bavuma said in the post-match press-conference on Thursday.
Bavuma also said the catch was a huge moment, with the prolific Steve Smith's wicket on the line, who completed 11,000 Test runs in the match.
Again, it just felt like a big moment in the game. Steve Smith, we know what an important cog he is in their batting lineup, but also the game in itself. The clouds were coming in. So yeah, I was just kind of allowed my emotions to get the better of me there," Bavuma added.
Temba Bavuma leads South Africa by example during Gqeberha Test win
During the extravaganza at Gqeberha, Temba Bavuma led the Proteas from the very front. With rain having a say on almost every day, the 36-year-old was the best batter on display for the Proteas, who were at 12/2 and 97/5 in the first innings.
However, Bavuma, aided tremendously by Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen, smacked his highest Test score of 179 runs, taking South Africa to 425/9, before bowling Australia for 99 & 295.
The next Test will be played at Newlands, Cape Town, starting on October 27.
