SA confident of batting out fifth day - Bavuma
Temba Bavuma, who rose to the challenge and batted for 117 balls on Day Four, said the job of batting out 90 overs on Day Five may be difficult but South Africa had the wherewithal to accomplish it.
Published : Dec 06, 2015 19:05 IST
After his team's solid display on Sunday, young opener Temba Bavuma was confident that South Africa would be able to bat out the fifth and final day of the fourth Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla here to ensure a draw against India.
Bavuma, who rose to the challenge and gave a performance befitting the situation, said the job at hand might be difficult but South Africa had the wherewithal to accomplish it. “It is a tough task to last 90 overs tomorrow. The pitch is deteriorating. But we have the experience to bat out (the whole day). We have batsmen like Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers in the crease,” said 25-year-old Bavuma after the end of the penultimate day's play.
Speaking about South Africa's slow-paced second innings, in which the tourists managed 72 runs in as many overs, the pint-sized opener said considering that the target of 481 set by India was too big it was a conscious decision to block most of the deliveries. “We did sit down and discuss (the plan). Blocking was the best way forward to tackle the challenge...We managed to sustain pressure.”
Bavuma said South Africa's main target was to consume time. “These are toughest batting conditions in my life. But runs are not important. It is the amount of time you bat out is the key. This performance gave me a lot of confidence.”
Pacer Umesh Yadav said the home side was surprised to see the South African batsmen blocking so patiently. “They did not score runs even from the deliveries which would have fetched them runs. That made bowling more challenging. Because there was less chance of taking wickets (on such a pitch)...They did this because they were under pressure,” said Umesh.
Umesh said the Proteas were lucky that the catches offered by them did not go to the fielders. “They have been beaten, catches have come but landed in gaps. We have a lot of time to get them out tomorrow.”