India, Oct. 21 -- At 110/6 in the first innings of the second Test against Australia, South Africa were staring down the barrel. They had already lost the first Test and if they were bowled out cheaply again, another loss was perhaps on the cards. The series would have been gone as well and that is not how World Test champions would have liked to start the new cycle.

Pre-February 2023, in this scenario, one could have expected a good-looking cameo from Temba Bavuma. Everything would look right for a while, he would show grit and determination and then, almost like clockwork, inexplicably throw his wicket away. This is why in 54 Tests between 2014 and 2023, he had averaged just 34.53.

But since taking over as skipper, Bavuma has emerged ...