Supersport analysts Shaun Pollock and David Lloyd hailed the emergence of Temba Bavuma and debated South Africa’s declaration.
On Bavuma’s innings
Lloyd: ‘You love it when a player does well, but the biggest thing is that he knows as player, “I’ve arrived, I’m meant to be here, I know I’m good enough.”
‘He is a only a little guy, but he showed great presence. He got under the skin of the England players and that is always a good thing when they know they are in a bit of a scrap. He looks a cocky sort of player, a confident player. The selectors have decided this boy is a very good player and they have stuck with him for seven Test matches, with one fifty, but now he knows he is in this team by right. We talked about Stokes and Bairstow: there is no better place than this ground, in this Test match, to achieve, and he has done that. So he need never think, “I wonder if I am in the team”; of course he is in the team.’
Pollock: ‘With that innings, you create a honeymoon period for yourself, so now you can settle down and find out how to play at the top level. It ‘s so important that you put in one or two good performances up front and it buys you time and you can allow your skills to take over. It’s such a great moment. He will remember this moment for the rest of his life.
‘[He was played out of position in India, so] He is not a top-order player, so you have to give him a chance at the place he knows best and he has managed to get this right at Newlands. He came in when the third new ball was taken, and yes, they were tired, but it was still a new ball, so it wasn’t easy.’
On the declaration
Pollock: ‘My thoughts would be to carry on, get as far ahead as possible as quickly as possible, just have a go and get as many as you can; maybe 75, 100 and then try to pick up a couple of quick wickets. If you are minus-fifty and you’re two down, it’s a different game. If they had to rock up tomorrow morning and put the bowling boots back on and go out then again… minus whatever…’
Lloyd: ‘I am with Shaun: destroy England and then get them in behind; pick up two and then they are a little bit vulnerable. But now they will have a night’s rest and if everything goes well, as it should on this pitch, they should get some decent batting practice.’
