27 October - Chennai - South Africa Captain Temba Bavuma post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
How's your heart rate after that one?
[Temba Bavuma:]
It's gone down a bit now. I'm obviously quite happy with the result. Yeah, quite happy.
[Reporter:]
Last night you spoke about how guys would work quite hard to be as calm as possible and exuding this calmness. So, take us into the change room. I mean, was that the same, especially those last couple of wickets of batting out there?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Probably not as calm at the moment. A little bit of chaotic now with the guys jumping around. I think obviously at the end as well, we were all on the edge of our seat. I think you had everyone's opinions flying around as to how we should be going about that run chase. But at the end of the day, the guys who were in there, Keshav and Shamu, they did it for us. Look, it's easier for us to have conversations now with regards to our run chase. We've got the result on our side. I mean, I do think we could have shown up a lot more of a clinical display in going about that run chase. I think we did have luck on our side. We did give them opportunities to get into the game. But fortunately for us, I think the gods were with us. But like I said, it's easier for us to have those conversations regarding how probably regarding our blueprint and how we want to go about going about those run chases.
[Reporter:]
Yeah, there were times when you would seemed to be in fifth gear and then sixth gear and then you stayed there. And there were times when it seemed like it would be a normal option to change down those gears, because you were ahead of the game, ahead of the run rate, but you kept going. Sometimes you're not always in control of those kind of things. Was it a conscious decision or was it just the momentum was unstoppable?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Yeah, I think that's the word there, is control. We didn't show that control. I think I've said this probably 50 times, we've spoken about our brand of cricket being positive but I think probably in situations like that there is room for us to maybe be a bit more calculative, maybe identify where the risks are and how we can have low risk options in terms of coming up against whatever the challenges are.
Again, like I said, I think it's conversations that we're going to need to have, and it's the learnings that we're going to have to take out of performances like these. I think from a belief point of view, what I must say is that I think it will go a long way in terms of our team, in terms of how far we believe that we can go in the tournament. So, I don't think we can overlook that and focus too much on maybe how the way we went about our chase kind of fuels that narrative of us not being clinical when it comes to run chases. I think there's a lot of positives that we should take and momentum that we should run.
[Reporter:]
Talk us through about that phase where the collapse happened. Obviously after a great start no one kind of expected it. So, what exactly happened and also if you can give an idea about the pitch, was it acting a bit slow towards the end?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Look I felt the wicket was a good one, especially when it stopped swinging Quinton looked like he was seeing a beach ball, so he was going after his shots. I started getting into gear. We lost those early wickets with Quinton and myself. Partnership started to form between Russi and Aiden. I guess those partnerships just weren't long enough for it to be a clinical performance. And then obviously at the end, that's where I guess the panic, I would say kind of set in. I haven't chatted to the guys yet, so I can't say what the guys were thinking at that point in time. Then I think at the end Keshav got it over the line. Probably he was a lot more cautious than we know Keshav to be. So, I guess there we'll have to understand what his thinking was. So hard for me to really give you proper insight into the psyche of the guys while they were betting there. Maybe in the press leading up to the game, There'll be answers
[Reporter:]
Somebody who's spoken about you've used the word clinical a few times and in that you want to improve the clinicalness of your performance. But you know this question of can you chase is hung over you and your players and you've been asked about it for quite a while now. How far do you think you went tonight in answering that question?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Look, I think the way we see it, it's more of a challenge. A challenge that we're looking to obviously improve within our batting. We're looking at how we can be better as a batting unit. So, we don't see it as a hurdle. It's more of a challenge. And I think it's probably a nice challenge to have when you close to the top of the log in the tournament. I think as much as we've played well, but we recognise that there are areas that we can improve in within our batting, like we've spoken about in terms of the chasing, probably within the bowling as well. I think with the bowling were a lot more clinical when it came to the death phase. So, I think there's improvements that we're making. We haven't played our best game or cricket yet. I think that's a that's a good sign really for a team that finds themselves close to the top of the log.
[Reporter:]
There's been a pretty challenging tournament for new ball bowlers with the ball not swinging as much but Marco has excelled in that phase even though the ball hasn't been swinging much. So, could you just talk us through about what makes Marco effective even in these conditions?
[Temba Bavuma:]
I think the ball is swinging. I think Marco has recognised that. He's been working a lot on his wrist position and he's exploiting whatever swing and seam that is there on offer. I think there's freedom for him to go about searching for those wickets but still having that control. And I think also being backed up with a guy like Lungi on the other side who's also looking to exploit whatever swing, whatever seam that is on offer, I think they're working well together. So, look, I mean, players will always flourish when they feel backed. We know Marco, Australia series, wasn't bowling the quality that he is bowling now, but he understood that the guys who had him in the team were backing him and we know what his skill set is. So, it's on show now. He's really becoming a weapon of ours and we'll take that any day.
[Reporter:]
Last, since 15th October, three close games for South Africa, two in rugby, one today. How many times do you think they're going to take that pressure? And also, with Springboks going on, this is the defending of their World Cup. What do you think your team can get from them? And it has been a great year for South African sport in a whole with women's football team, women's cricket team and rugby in here. So, in a whole how good it is to come to India and have this excellent run so far and especially what's the message for Boks for the finals?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Yeah, I think that's a good point. I think speaking about now more recently with the Boks, I think their performances have been inspiring. Looking at the quarterfinal, how they went about it there. Looking at the semifinal as well where they kind of came out of nowhere and won it for the team. I think that was quite inspiring and motivating for us as players to see how guys never gave up.
There was a strong sense of desperation to really get the win. And I think that's something that we can really, as a Proteas team, we can really take on board and make that a part of our DNA, our makeup as a team. I think all the momentum within the sport was started by the women in the start of the year, them getting into the final. I think it's been a bit of pressure for us as the proteas to keep the momentum going. I think we're doing well so far. But yeah, we'll take the inspiration and motivation from all those performances from our other national teams.
Message for the boks
We'll obviously be watching tomorrow. We'll be watching with our beers in hand. All the best. You guys have done us proud. I know you guys will do us even more proud by lifting the trophy.
[Reporter:]
A little while ago you spoke about Marco Jansen. Some of his success has also been down to the kind of fields you've set for him, you, and Markram in the other game. Like getting a guy caught at like slip and then today you had this sort of wide slip, gully for both him and for Lungi. Could you talk about your thoughts behind some of those appeal settings?
[Temba Bavuma:]
Yes, I think up front with Marco, like I said, we're always looking for him to swing the ball both ways. I think we've identified that the ball up front, it doesn't really go square with the wicket a lot, so we thought instead of the two slips behind with the right-hander, rather have one-on-one with the leg slip. That's obviously worked. I think it put something at the back of the batter's mind. And I think with the left-hander, he's probably always going to go two slips and if it's not swinging, he'll always go the gully.
We felt this wicket there was a little bit of bounce and obviously Marco being 10 foot whatever he is, he's always going to exploit that. But yeah, we plan for these things, sometimes they come off, sometimes they don't, and when they don't, you look like you don't know what you're doing. So, it's been a good run for Marco, it’s been a good run for us as the strategic team as well in terms of our planning and yeah.
[Reporter:]
You said that there were loads of opinions flying around about what you guys should be doing. I was just wondering who was saying what and who was shouting just smack it for six or what was those conversations?
[Temba Bavuma:]
I won't say who the names were but I think yeah at one point I think Kes [Maharaj] was 2 of 16 and some people felt that that's probably you know what you want in that situation we know Kes is a guy that always goes the positive route always looks to play shots a little he was a much more subdued today in that situation. So, I guess there was that almost that desire and encouragement from the guys for him to keep going. With that, it's obviously hard when you're in there in the moments easier for us on the on the outside. But yeah, there were opinions all coming from a good place.