South Africa faced a setback as their skipper Temba Bavuma had to leave the field due to hamstring strain during the first session of Day 1 in the Boxing Day Test against India on December 26. While chasing the ball Bavuma sustained the injury in the 20th over of India’s batting innings, attempting to prevent a boundary.
Virat Kohli was at the crease against Macro Jansen, who bowled a full ball just outside the off-stump. Kohli elegantly drove the ball through the covers. As Bavuma chased after the ball, a sudden burst of pain shot through his left hamstring. Despite limping, he bravely managed to reach the ball before it could cross the boundary.
He quickly passed the ball back to the wicketkeeper but then immediately bent over, clutching the back of his thigh in discomfort.
The South African team's physiotherapist rushed onto the field to help Bavuma, leading to a short break in the game before he chose to leave the field. The injury looked serious, and it could possibly keep the South African captain out for the rest of this Test match. As per a statement by Cricket South Africa, he will "undergo daily medical evaluations to determine" if he can participate in the match.
Dean Elgar, who announced that he will retire after the two-Test series, assumed the captaincy after Bavuma's injury, with India's score at 60-3.
The 33-year-old recently participated in the 2023 World Cup despite his hamstring injury. The right-handed batter scored just 145 runs in eight ODIs with an average of 18.12. However, he successfully led South Africa to the semifinals. Following his injury, Bavuma was rested for the recently concluded T20I and ODI series against India.
The Proteas will hope the injury is not severe, as they would otherwise miss out on his captaincy and batting contributions. Bavuma has accumulated 373 runs in seven Tests against India at an average of 33.91, including two half-centuries.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
