Temba Bavuma Achieves Stunning Batting Feat Not Even Managed By Kohli, Sachin

Temba Bavuma has been a model of consistency in Test cricket across the last two years, averaging 56 since the start of 2023, proving to be one of the best batters in the world. He’s smashed three hundreds and four fifties in this period, and has made a truckload of important runs in considerably challenging conditions.

And after grinding it out hard on the first day, where he scored just 3 runs off 37 balls, the South Africa skipper kicked on and found fluency on day two. Bavuma was not able to convert and post a big score as he fell for 36, but he built a crucial 64-run partnership with David Bedingham as South Africa recovered from 30/4 to get to 121/5 at lunch on day two.

The 36 might seem like a missed opportunity and it’s true. But equally, it was yet another example of Bavuma’s incredible consistency as the knock today was the South Africa skipper’s eighth 30+ score in a row in Test cricket. 

Indeed, Bavuma’s last 8 innings now read 36, 106, 40, 31, 66, 78, 113 & 70. August 15th, 2024, was the last time Bavuma was dismissed below 30 in Test cricket.

Thanks to his knock today, only two captains in history have now put up more consecutive scores of 30 in Test cricket.

Most consecutive 30+ scores by a captain in Tests

11 - Ted Dexter (1962-63)

9 - Inzamam-ul-Haq (2005)

8 - Temba Bavuma (2024- )

8 - Babar Azam (2021-22)

8 - Steven Smith (2016)

8 - Andrew Strauss (2006-07)

8 - Peter May (1955-56)

It’s the best streak for any South African captain, as today Bavuma went past Graeme Smith, who had strung together 8 scores of 30 or more back in 2008. It’s quite an impressive feat as even someone like Virat Kohli didn’t manage such a run when he was the Test skipper of India.