IND vs SA, 2nd ODI: Facing India with Kohli and Rohit nothing new, but it does bolster them, says Bavuma

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma feels facing an Indian side with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is nothing new, but it does bolster the host.

Kohli’s 52nd ODI ton and Rohit’s 57 set up a 17-run victory for India in the opening ODI, giving it a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the second match to be played in Raipur on Wednesday.

“The inclusion of those two guys that does bolster the team. Like we said at the start of the series, these are two guys who have a lot of experience and a lot of skill and that can only benefit the team.

“It is not something that we are not aware of,” Bavuma told the media ahead of South Africa’s training session at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium.

Underlining their experience in international cricket, Bavuma recalled watching a young Rohit in the 2007 T20 World Cup, which India won as a school student.

ALSO READ | Vintage Virat Kohli century sets up India’s 17-run win over South Africa

“We played against Rohit… I think it was in 2007, the T20 World Cup. I was still in school then. I mean, these guys have been around, so there is nothing new. These are world-class players,” he said.

“(Coming up against them is) nothing new, we have come across it. We have been on the bad end of it. But we have also had good times against them. It all just makes the series a lot more exciting,” he said.

Bavuma, meanwhile, said there was nothing for him to clarify on the use of the word “grovel” made by South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad during the fourth day’s play in the second Test.

“No, I don’t think it is distracting (and) no it’s not for me to clarify,” said Bavuma, who missed the opening ODI.

Bavuma heaped praise on Marco Jansen, whose 39-ball 70 took South Africa to the brink of a victory in the first ODI.

“From an all-rounder point of view, I don’t know where the rankings sit (but) I am sure Marco Jansen, in any one of the formats, will definitely be in a top 10. His contributions, with bat (or) with the ball (and) sometimes even both, they have been immense to our success,” he said.

“He is still a young guy, but he has had a lot of international cricket that is under his belt. He is only growing into his own and becoming a lot more comfortable under his skin.”

Bavuma did not read much into South Africa’s loss in the first ODI. “We were 15 runs (17) short of them. The gap between the batting performances wasn’t a big one. India played well; their two stalwarts stood up, but we were not too far off.”

Bavuma, who has led South Africa to 11 Test wins in his 12 matches as skipper so far, said it was up to those in “suits” in Cricket South Africa to ensure there are more Test matches against top countries.

“All of us have been crying for more cricket, especially against the top nations,” he said. “The Test series (against India) now, as much as there were two-match series, a lot of us would have wanted to see it going to a three or four-match series. When it’s a side like India, they would have raised the standard, which would have forced us to raise our standards as well.

“As players, we don’t get involved when it comes to the scheduling, the negotiation, and all of that. Those are for, I guess, the people in suits, the Cricket South Africa.”

On a lighter note, Bavuma said some of the South African players want to play a four-Test series as they are growing old. “Some of us are getting a little bit old, so we’re not going to go too long to make another four-match Test series against India,” he said.

Published on Dec 02, 2025