Temba Bavuma eyes World Test Championship final berth

DURBAN: South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, has compared their upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan to playing in cup finals. With hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s, the Proteas are treating every match as a must-win.

South Africa will face Sri Lanka in a two-match series starting Wednesday at Kingsmead, followed by two Tests against Pakistan from December 26. Winning all four matches would secure their spot in the championship final.

“We have four games left in our Test Championship campaign, and each one is as important as a final,” Bavuma said during a press conference. “The guys are excited, and I think you’ll see some good performances from them.”

The Proteas have made a few changes to their squad after their dominant win against Bangladesh last month, where they secured victory by an innings and 273 runs. Bavuma returns from an elbow injury to strengthen the batting lineup, while seamers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen join the bowling attack, led by Kagiso Rabada.

Talking about the pitch conditions, Bavuma said, “If the wicket turns, it will probably be later in the game. Considering the weather, we believe the seamers will play a big role. We’re confident in our all-out pace attack.”

He emphasized that the team is focused on what has worked for them so far. “We know what brings us success, and we want to stay focused on that. We’re getting closer to our goal,” he added.

Sri Lanka is also in the race for the Test Championship final. They need to win both matches in South Africa and perform well against Australia at home in February to stay in contention.

When asked about Sri Lanka’s ability to handle fast bowling, Bavuma said, “If they were vulnerable to pace, they wouldn’t be third in the standings. Fast bowling will be a challenge, but they’ve likely prepared well. We know we’ll have to be at our best.