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Proteas captain Bavuma admits they were not at their best in defeat to Bangladesh

Mahlatse Mphahlele Sports reporter
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma doing some fielding work during the 1st ODI against Bangladesh SuperSport Park in Pretoria.
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma doing some fielding work during the 1st ODI against Bangladesh SuperSport Park in Pretoria.
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma has admitted that their failure to get early wickets was part of the reason they lost to Bangladesh in the first ODI at SuperSport Park on Friday night.

Bangladesh stunned the Proteas with a 38-run victory to take a 1-0 lead in this match where they only lost their first wicket in the 22nd over when Andile Phehlukwayo trapped Tamim Iqbal (41) in front.

Iqbal and his opening partner Liton Das put together a solid partnership of 95 off 130 to lay a solid foundation as they went on to register this impressive victory under the lights in Centurion.

“In the first 10 to 15 overs, I felt that we did have control and what was lacking was not being able to take wickets,” said Bavuma as he licked his wounds.

“It was always going to be tough for us because they always had an in batter who could take the risk when needed and it worked in their favour.”

The Proteas surprisingly started the match with Keshav Maharaj as the preferred spinner ahead of Tabraiz Shamsi and Bavuma explained their decision.

“Leaving out Shamsi, we weren’t expecting the wicket to be the one that will assist spin. I don’t necessarily think that it did but that was the thinking there from a Shamsi point of view.

“With the seamers that we had in KG (Kagiso Rabada), Lungi (Ngidi) and Marco (Jansen), they are guys that can take wickets and there was also Andile (Phehlukwayo) to keep things quite as well as Keshav (Maharaj). So, that was generally our game plan.”

SA was given a target of 315 to win the match and they were bowled out for 276 after 48.5 overs and Bavuma added there will be discussions on how they batted and bowled in the match.

“The conversation is not just only with the bowlers but what need to happen with the batters. I think that first 10 to 15 overs we had a good sense of control of the game but in terms of our plans and adapting to conditions I don’t think we were on point.

“It took us couple of overs to really adjust to what the conditions were asking of us. In the last 20 overs they got 180 runs or close to that and obviously they got momentum going into the innings with the ball.

“That conversation is more in terms of our plans and how we could have done things a lot better.”


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