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South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma recently disclosed a humorous but telling interaction he had with former New Zealand Test captain Kane Williamson regarding the difficult challenge of winning in India. Bavuma had sought tips from Williamson on how to beat the formidable Indian Test team in sub-continent conditions. While Williamson was not forthcoming with much detailed tactical information, he did offer a single, simple piece of advice. He told Bavuma, make sure you win the toss. Bavuma clearly took this counsel to heart, revealing that he has since started practicing his coin toss technique.
Temba Bavuma gets key tips from Kane Williamson to beat India
Williamson's advice is rooted in a historical context that highlights the importance of the toss in India. New Zealand is the only team ever to have achieved a series whitewash against India in their home conditions, accomplishing the remarkable feat in 2024. Although Williamson himself did not play in any of the three Tests due to a groin injury, he was deeply involved in the team's leadership and the preparatory camp leading up to the tour. During that series, New Zealand won two out of the three tosses. Crucially, the single toss they lost, in Bengaluru, ironically proved lucky when India's captain chose to bat first, a decision that spectacularly backfired on a green-top pitch.
“I met up with Kane (Williamson) at an awards ceremony here in India a couple of months ago. I tried to ask him for some pointers. He wasn’t too open… but he did say ‘make sure that you win the toss’ So I have been practicing my coin tossing skills… but I guess you’ve just got to play good cricket. It is as easy, but as hard as that," Bavuma said.
Bavuma, has clearly identified the immense challenge awaiting his team on their tour of India. He recognised that the questions the South African team would be posed in the sub-continent, referring to the spin-friendly pitches and intense pressure, could not be more straightforward.
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I believe our preparation is as good as it could have been: Temba Bavuma
To find the necessary answers to these challenges and achieve success in India, Bavuma realised that the team's approach must hinge on individual players stepping up and delivering exceptional performances. This highlights his belief that collective strategy must be executed through moments of individual excellence to conquer the unique demands of Test cricket in India.
“When you come to India, you know the type of questions they are going to ask from a bowling point of view, from a batting point of view. I believe our preparation is as good as it could have been. We just have to make sure that we stand up to the occasion. You are going to need certain players to stand up and make big plays. Aiden did it for us in the final, Kagiso did it for us with the ball. You come up against a formidable side like India in their own conditions, those are the type of things that you are going to require," he added.
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