The Kyle Verreyne attempted scoop made it dramatic, though Temba Bavuma was calmed down by how Dave Bedingham was going about the chase in the end. But the image of him with his head in his hands, worried silly till the job got done will remain imprinted on minds forever.
In that moment, after Aiden Markram departed with 6 left to score, he wasn’t just the first Black Test captain (which will remain his enduring legacy anyway). He was ‘a South African cricket captain’ in a long line of skippers who had watched run-chases careen out of control in various formats over the years.
When the win arrived, the tallest South African cricketing captain, had delivered them an ICC trophy that has heart-crushingly eluded them for years.
“For me, it was, it was that moment there to be recognised more than just a Black African cricketer, but to be seen as someone who’s, who’s done something that the country has wanted,” he told Cricbuzz in the post match conference. “So I think that’s something that I’ll definitely walk around with my, with my chest out. And again, I can hope that it inspires, it continues to inspire our, our country.”
He hadn’t always dreamt of captaining the Proteas, or even at Lord’s. “I never pictured myself playing here at Lord’s. I could only fantasise about it. That’s what was really reachable for us. Being captain, that was never a dream of mine. And now to have this opportunity, now to be in this position where you have won the mace for that country. I don’t think you really can write those type of stories,” he offered eloquently.
Describing the final moments in the lead-up to the destiny-turning WTC win over Australia, he recalled, “Yeah, it was emotional. I think this time at least I managed to watch the runs unlike the last time. Quite tense as well.”
When asked by Cricbuzz why he had his head in his hands, he said, “I think as much as, I mean, even when we got it to 10 runs, you almost wanted to still keep it on that edge that anything can happen. I mean, the belief was obviously there, but it was hard to kind of accept the fact that we were close to doing something that’s never been done before. And Kyle Verreynne made it quite dramatic there at the end, Bedingham showed a bit more calmness.
“And yeah, I think when he scored the runs, I kind of had my head in my hands. I guess just trying to embrace and acknowledge what we’ve just done. I think what, yeah, I think in that moment, kind of thought of, you know, the experiences that I’ve had in the last couple of years,” he added.
That feeling of extreme exhaustion and numbness after a long challenge has been met, was imprinted on his face. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s not easy being captain of South Africa,” he would tell Cricbuzz, and it was almost like speaking for all the captains past – Weasels, Cronje, Pollock, Smith, ABdV, Amla, Faf and Markram who have had to front up to losses in chases and endure taunts.
“And, you know, all the, I guess all the sacrifices, all the disappointment at that moment really feels, it feels worth it, you know, when you’re going through it all, you know, giving up is always an option.
It’s always there. It’s always there at the back of your mind, but something kind of holds you on,” he would tell Cricbuzz.
Limping and with a busted hammy, Bavuma had alongside Markram decided on at the penultimate day’s tea, to carry on despite the discomfort, because the partnership, the solidity of these two warriors, was important to deny the Aussies a toehold into the door.
Many stories will now get written on Bavuma and Markram and Rabada and their assured chasing down of the Aussie total of 280 that in South African contexts can seem like a run mountain.
But Mr Tembarine’s men ensured they would bring it all back home.
