South Africa’s white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma believes a series win over India in the upcoming three-game ODI rubber will give the home team a “damn of confidence”. The last time India came to South Africa in 2018, they won the run of six games 5-1. It was also their first-ever win in the ODI series in the Rainbow Nation. “We’ll have to do things right in the next ODI series against India. I’m not too concerned about what happened in that 2018 series. I’m more concerned about establishing our own style of play and making it successful.” implementing our strategy.
“A win in the ODI series against India would give us a lot of confidence, and some momentum in the run-up to the next matches,” Bavuma told Daily Maverick.
Bavuma, who was part of the Proteas’ triumphant campaign in the just concluded three-match Test series, believes their campaign in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup has helped change perceptions about South Africa’s whiteball teams.
In the mega event in the UAE, South Africa had won four of their five group matches but missed the semi-finals on a net run rate basis due to their loss in the tournament opener against Australia.
“Perceptions about this South African team with white balls are changing. In the past it was said that we were unable to get spin and that we struggled in overseas conditions. I feel we have proved that many people were wrong at the T20 World Cup.
“We just have to keep building the next T20 World Cup in Australia, which will require a different mindset change.” He said the ODI squad should take heart from the T20 team’s show during the World Cup in UAE.
“Maybe we should take heart from what the T20 side has achieved in recent times. That team didn’t put a lot of emphasis on results, but rather on the process.
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“We really got a handle on how we wanted to play. There was a lot of energy and intensity, especially with regard to our field work,” he said.
“Then we start winning consistently. Since the start of the West Indies series last June, we’ve won 13 out of 16 T20s. It’s something we want to replicate across all formats. If we bring the same energy into our ODI approach, we will build more confidence and momentum and the big results will come.”
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