South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma is currently enjoying remarkable success as the leader of the Proteas, but his first encounter with captaincy duties occurred in rather unusual circumstances back in 2019.
The Unforgettable Ranchi Test Incident
During the third and final Test match against India at JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, Bavuma made his initial foray into captaincy responsibilities, albeit in an unconventional manner. Although Faf du Plessis served as the official South African captain for the game, Bavuma walked out for the coin toss as a designated proxy captain.
The unusual decision stemmed from Du Plessis's frustration with his consistent toss losses. Hoping to change his luck, the regular skipper delegated the toss responsibility to Bavuma, creating a memorable moment in cricket history.
How The Proxy Captaincy Unfolded
At the toss ceremony, former Indian cricketer Murali Karthik captured the peculiar nature of the situation when he announced: To my left we have South Africa captain Du Plessis and India skipper Virat Kohli. And then an interesting one, we have a proxy captain who will be there for the toss, which is Temba Bavuma.
Despite the strategic move, South Africa's luck didn't improve as they still lost the toss, with Virat Kohli opting to bat first for the third consecutive time in the series.
Reactions and Criticism
The unconventional tactic drew mixed reactions from the cricket community. After the unsuccessful toss attempt, Du Plessis commented: It shows that it isn't meant to be. Important toss as this looks the driest surface of the series. It's about the first innings really and we need to put runs on the board when we bat.
However, the move faced significant criticism from former South African captain Graeme Smith, who expressed his disapproval during a Star Sports broadcast. Smith described the moment as quirky but ultimately pathetic, emphasizing that it reflected the wrong mindset within the South African team.
I would rather see the South Africa captain stand there, own his position, Smith stated. They are looking at the wrong places for the reasons they have lost the game. Unfortunately, they haven't played well enough. Yes, winning the toss in the sub-continent is a nice thing to do but if you play well enough, you can still compete.
From Proxy to Proven Leader
This early brush with captaincy responsibilities now stands in stark contrast to Bavuma's current successful leadership tenure. The South African skipper recently achieved the milestone of scoring 1000 Test runs as captain, becoming the second-fastest South African skipper to reach this landmark.
Under his leadership, South Africa secured a significant victory at the Eden Gardens Test in Kolkata and positioned themselves for a potential series victory over Shubman Gill's Indian team.
The 2019 proxy captaincy episode in Ranchi remains an intriguing footnote in Bavuma's journey from being a temporary toss representative to establishing himself as a formidable and successful leader in international cricket.
