Centurion, Dec 29
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma revealed it was an emotional moment for him personally as the Proteas sealed a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final after registering a gripping two-wicket win against Pakistan in Centurion on Sunday.
"Quite an emotional moment for me. Lot of joy and happiness on our side. We did the hard way. But glad we won. I was still sulking," Bavuma said after the match.
Before the start of the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, South Africa were on the top of the standings for the next year's summit clash at Lord's. A win against Pakistan ensured that they would finish the standings in the top two to secure a place in their maiden WTC final.
However, the win was not easy for the hosts despite chasing 148 as they crumbled on the way before Kagiso Rabada (31 not out) and Marco Jansen (16 not out) finally got them over the line to seal their maiden WTC final appearance.
Bavuma lauded Aiden Markram for scoring 89 in the first innings that set the tone of the win and also earned him Player of the Match.
"Aiden get them going. Wasn't a lot of conversations. We still had the confidence. I didn't come out to the viewing area and was in the toilet. I came when 15 runs were needed. It is a big win. Not just for myself. But for the coaches. The way we started our campaign against India. We weren't given much of a chance. We weren't ruthless. But we kept finding ways. We hope the guys can get confidence from performances like these. Guys get picked on when they do badly. We would like to enjoy the moment and take stock of what we have done," the skipper said.
The Proteas were already on top of the WTC standings after a 2-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka at home. Having played 11 Tests in the ongoing cycle, South Africa boast seven wins and a 66.67 point percentage.
Having started off the ongoing cycle with a drawn series at home against India, followed by a clean sweep at the hands of New Zealand, the Proteas bounced back with impressive wins away from home against West Indies and Bangladesh, followed by dominant displays at home.
Bavuma-led side pipped Australia, India and Sri Lanka – who are also in contention – to become the first team to book a spot in the final, barring any point deductions owing to slow-over rate.