South Africa 'quite far' from desired level in ODIs
What's the story
South Africa's ODI captain Temba Bavuma has admitted that his team is "quite far" from their desired level ahead of the 2027 home World Cup. Despite completing a fifth successive bilateral series win over Australia, the team lost the final match by a record 276-run margin. Bavuma said they are still in a transition phase with new faces in the squad and roles being explored. Here's more.
Team evolution
Bavuma on team's exploration phase
After the 3rd ODI in Mackay, Bavuma stressed the importance of this exploration phase for the team's growth. "You're seeing new faces in the team and that's all part of us being in that exploration phase," Bavuma said. "We're getting to understand guys, what roles that they can fulfil within the team and what they bring in from a personality point of view. We have time. There's two years left and we're definitely not close to where we want to be as a team."
Batting challenges
New opening combination struggles to get going
The new opening combination of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton had a highest stand of 92 in three matches. However, both players struggled with their play outside off-stump. Bavuma himself scored over 50 in one of the two games he played, but his strike rate was under 90, which could be a cause for concern. Matthew Breetzke shone in the middle-order with two quick half-centuries before missing the third match due to a hamstring injury. SA had four different batters in three middle-order roles.
Talent recognition
Brevis shines in the final ODI
Despite the challenges, Bavuma praised Brevis's talent and potential. Brevis scored 49 runs in the 3rd ODI, hitting 5 sixes. He said, "It's refreshing watching him kind of go about his business. He's not fazed by anything." The captain also acknowledged that as Brevis plays more, he will start incorporating more batsmanship into his game, especially in longer formats. This evolution would be entertaining not just for fans but also for the team itself.
Bowling assessment
Bowlers were near their best
On the bowling front, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi were standout performers in the two matches they won. Bavuma sees these performances as building blocks for what the team could look like when they play to their potential. He said, "As much as we won the series, we felt that we weren't anywhere near our best. So I guess that's exciting as well."
Future challenges
South Africa's next challenge comes against England
South Africa's next challenge comes in just over a week when they take on England in a three-match series. Bavuma expects "a lot more balls to go flying" and hopes the team will continue to develop their skills in different conditions. He acknowledged that South Africa were severely lacking in the third game against Australia, where bowlers conceded 431 runs without any problem-solving ability to limit damage.
Information
Series winners SA get thrashed in the final ODI
SA were thumped by a 176-run margin in the 3rd and final ODI. The Aussies posted a score of 431/2 in 50 overs. They had three centurions and a half-centurion. In response, SA perished for 155 runs. Spinner Cooper Connolly claimed 5/22 from six overs.