South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma etched his name in the record books on Saturday, achieving a significant personal milestone during the third and final One Day International against India. Playing at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, Bavuma crossed the 2,000-run mark in ODI cricket.
A Record-Breaking Achievement
Bavuma's accomplishment is notable not just for the runs but for the age at which he achieved it. At 35 years and 203 days, he has become the oldest South African player to reach 2,000 runs in the 50-over format. This surpasses the previous record held by Rassie van der Dussen, who was 34 years and 247 days old when he reached the same landmark.
The Proteas skipper reached this milestone in his 53rd ODI innings. This places him as the joint-fourth fastest South African to get to 2,000 runs, tying with wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock. The only players from his nation to have done it quicker are batting greats Hashim Amla (40 innings), Rassie van der Dussen (45 innings), and Gary Kirsten (50 innings).
The Series Context and Crucial Toss
The decisive match in Visakhapatnam was set against the backdrop of a fiercely contested series, locked at 1-1. India had won the first ODI in Ranchi, while South Africa leveled the series with a victory in Raipur. Both previous matches were high-scoring affairs, with the team batting first posting totals exceeding 340 runs.
In a significant turn of events, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field. This marked India's first ODI toss win since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
Key Performers and Team Line-ups
The series has been dominated by Indian stalwart Virat Kohli, who has been in sublime form with two consecutive centuries, making him the leading run-scorer. On the bowling front, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been the standout, claiming five wickets across the two matches.
South Africa fielded a team featuring Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, and Ottneil Baartman.
India's playing eleven consisted of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.
Bavuma's milestone adds a historic chapter to his career and the ongoing narrative of this competitive bilateral series, setting the stage for an exciting finale in Visakhapatnam.
