Mackay, Aug 24 (IANS) After conceding a massive 276-run thrashing against Australia in the third and final ODI, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said that his squad is still “quite far” from where they aim to be for the 2027 home World Cup, but admitted there’s time to reach that level.
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Despite the forgettable outing, South Africa managed to seal the series 2-1 – their fifth successive bilateral series win over Australia

“You’re seeing new faces in the team and that’s all part of us being in that exploration phase,” Bavuma said after the third ODI in Mackay. “We’re getting to understand guys, what roles that they can fulfil within the team and what they bring in from a personality point of view. We have time. There’s two years left and we’re definitely not close to where we want to be as a team.”

South Africa introduced only two new players – Dewald Brevis and Prenelan Subrayen during the three-match series but experimented heavily with their lineup. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton were tried as openers, posting a best partnership of 92, though both struggled outside off-stump. Bavuma moved to No. 3, scoring a fifty in two matches but with a strike rate below 90, raising concerns. The middle order saw four different batters in three spots. Matthew Breetzke stood out with two brisk half-centuries before a hamstring issue sidelined him for the third game. Tony de Zorzi showed promise, especially off the back foot, but lacked consistency. Brevis, despite his T20I success, was dismissed cheaply in all three ODIs but remains highly rated.

South Africa are still shaping their ODI squad for the next quadrennial showpiece, with Bavuma acknowledging the team is in transition, despite recent series success.

“It’s refreshing watching him kind of go about his business. He’s not fazed by anything. What’s also quite refreshing is seeing his reaction when he does go out. For him, it’s all about, he should have hit the ball harder. Maybe the more experienced guys will be thinking, was that a good decision or not? But there’s an exuberance of youth from him,” Bavuma said.

“The longer he plays, the more he’ll start getting a little bit more batsmanship in his game, especially in the longer formats. For now, it’s entertaining for not just the fans, but for us within the team as well.”

Bavuma acknowledged that South Africa fell well short in the third match, with the bowlers conceding 431 runs and showing a lack of problem-solving skills that might have helped contain the opposition.

“From a control point of view, that definitely wasn’t there. When they put us under pressure, we weren’t able to come up with any type of solution. It is a learning curve, not just for the younger guys, but for even the batters. It’s not every day where you get to where you’re chasing 432. So to be able to come up with some type of formula, that’s something that we kind of need to get to terms with.”

–IANS

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