Vice-captain Temba Bavuma lamented a poor display from the batsmen, after the Proteas collapsed to 275 all out in response to India’s 601-5 declared on day three of the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday.

The visitors’ final total would have read substantially less, too, had lower-order duo Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander not shared a 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket. Maharaj struck 72 to Philander’s 44 not out.

‘For the guys at the top of the order, those who are entrusted with scoring the bulk of the runs, it does kind of hurt. It does kind of dent your ego when you see the lower order fighting it out, doing what you are supposed to do,’ said Bavuma.

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‘For the second innings, we can take a lot of confidence from the fact that it’s not all demons out there. You can actually bat out there. We just have to find a way to dominate with the bat as much as India have done.

‘I don’t have the answers as to where it is going wrong. The obvious one is that we are not putting up the big partnerships. We haven’t been able to absorb the pressure the Indian bowlers have put on us for consistent periods at a time. That’s obviously something we will try to rectify.’

India lead the three-match series after a 203-run victory in last week’s first Test in Visakhapatnam. Ranchi will host the third and final match from 19 October.

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