'Was in the toilet,’ Bavuma on nerve-wracking chase

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'Quite an emotional moment for me,' says Bavuma

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma after winning the first Test against Pakistan in Centurion on December 29, 2024. - AFP

CENTURION: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma made a candid admission about his emotional state during their tense chase against Pakistan in the first Test.

The Proteas, despite being reduced to 99/8 on Sunday, pulled off a remarkable two-wicket victory, thanks to the heroics of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.

Bavuma, who contributed 40 runs before being dismissed, admitted during the post-match presentation that he retreated to the toilet when the pressure became overwhelming.

“Quite an emotional moment for me. A lot of joy and happiness on our side. We did it the hard way, but I’m glad we won. I was still sulking in the toilet. Aiden (Markram) got them going. There weren’t a lot of conversations. We still had confidence. I didn’t come out to the viewing area and stayed in the toilet. I only came out when 15 runs were needed,” Bavuma revealed.

“It is a big win—not just for myself, but for the coaches as well,” he added.

The Proteas faced a challenging task chasing a modest target of 148 runs on a tricky pitch. 

Mohammed Abbas was the wrecker-in-chief for Pakistan, claiming an impressive 6/54.

Despite contributions from Aiden Markram (37 off 63 balls) and Bavuma, South Africa found themselves in dire straits before Rabada’s unbeaten 31 off 26 balls turned the tide. 

Rabada and Jansen shared a match-winning 51-run partnership that secured South Africa's place in the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s next year.

With this victory, South Africa climbed to the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 points table with a points percentage of 66.67%.

For the unversed, the second and final Test match of the series will take place in Cape Town from January 3-7, 2025.

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