JOHANNESBURG - Proteas batsman, Temba Bavuma, has developed his own style of play to suit the foreign New Zealand conditions in the current series.
Bavuma negotiated his way around the slow conditions in Dunedin, which were different to the usual bounce and pacey conditions he is used to at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
“The conditions are starkly different to what we have back home,” he said at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday. “The wickets are a bit slower, not as much bounce, the wind is much more of a factor. I’m adjusting my game to suit all those factors.”
Bavuma says he will take confidence from the handy 64 he scored under pressure in Dunedin, but would like to convert his starts into big milestones. He credits his strong mental application for his return to some promising form, after a difficult home series against Sri Lanka.
“I do feel that I’m starting to get some kind of batting rhythm,” he admitted. “I’m quite happy that I managed to score some runs, it has been a lean period for me. I think whatever confidence I got from there I’ll just try to carry on with that.
“One is never satisfied with getting 50 or 60, even though it is for the team and especially batting in the middle order. You want to get those big runs to put the team into a strong position. I’ll hold on to the memory from Dunedin and keep enjoying the ride.
“Mentally I’ve been up for the fight,” he added. “Understanding that there will be pressure situations and trying to find a way to get over those pressure situations. It was nothing technically, more of a mental adjustment.”
Off-spinner, Dane Piedt, has been added to the Proteas squad for the third Test match in Hamilton as an extra spin bowling option. Piedt is likely to join the squad during the second Test match starting in Wellington, Thursday, subject to his visa clearance.
The 27-year-old has played seven Test matches for South Africa, the last being the 204-run win against New Zealand in Centurion in August last year.
The third Test match starts at Seddon Park in Hamilton on March 25.