The two former Trophy champions meet for the first time in the event's history in Rawalpindi today (3pm, Bangladesh Time), having each won their first games in Group B.
Captain Temba Bavuma hailed what he termed South Africa’s brave decision to bat first in their comprehensive 107-run Champions Trophy win over Afghanistan on Friday as they mastered a Karachi wicket that had left both teams unsure over how it would play.
Only once before in their history have South Africa won more Tests in succession, when they claimed nine victories on the trot between 2002 and 2003.
Ryan Rickelton played a breakthrough innings as South Africa dominated the first day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday.
“I was still sulking in the toilet. There were not a lot of conversations. We still had the confidence. I did not come out to the viewing area and was in the toilet. I came when 15 runs were needed,” Bavuma laughed.
Five Test wins in a row, made up of away victories over West Indies in Guyana in August, two in Bangladesh in October and two more over Sri Lanka, means South Africa top the table of Test results over the last two-year cycle and are within touching distance of a place in the final at Lord’s from June 11-15.
A clean sweep of the two-match series against Sri Lanka, which starts at Kingsmead on Wednesday, and the two tests with Pakistan from Dec 26, would put South Africa into June’s final at Lord’s.
A major inclusion in the side sees full-time skipper Temba Bavuma return as skipper, having recovered from a left elbow injury, which ruled him out of the recent series in Bangladesh.
Aiden Markram will replace Temba Bavuma as South Africa captain for the first Test against Bangladesh later this month, Cricket South Africa said on Friday.
The two former Trophy champions meet for the first time in the event's history in Rawalpindi today (3pm, Bangladesh Time), having each won their first games in Group B.
Captain Temba Bavuma hailed what he termed South Africa’s brave decision to bat first in their comprehensive 107-run Champions Trophy win over Afghanistan on Friday as they mastered a Karachi wicket that had left both teams unsure over how it would play.
Only once before in their history have South Africa won more Tests in succession, when they claimed nine victories on the trot between 2002 and 2003.
Ryan Rickelton played a breakthrough innings as South Africa dominated the first day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday.
“I was still sulking in the toilet. There were not a lot of conversations. We still had the confidence. I did not come out to the viewing area and was in the toilet. I came when 15 runs were needed,” Bavuma laughed.
Five Test wins in a row, made up of away victories over West Indies in Guyana in August, two in Bangladesh in October and two more over Sri Lanka, means South Africa top the table of Test results over the last two-year cycle and are within touching distance of a place in the final at Lord’s from June 11-15.
A clean sweep of the two-match series against Sri Lanka, which starts at Kingsmead on Wednesday, and the two tests with Pakistan from Dec 26, would put South Africa into June’s final at Lord’s.
A major inclusion in the side sees full-time skipper Temba Bavuma return as skipper, having recovered from a left elbow injury, which ruled him out of the recent series in Bangladesh.
Aiden Markram will replace Temba Bavuma as South Africa captain for the first Test against Bangladesh later this month, Cricket South Africa said on Friday.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss the third and final one-day international against Ireland in Abu Dhabi on Monday and is a doubt to lead the Test team on a two-match tour of Bangladesh that starts on Oct. 21.
