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Temba Bavuma took Kane Williamson’s advice literally, he’s been practising coin tosses after being told the key to beating India is simple: “Make sure you win it!”
South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma. (Picture Credit: AFP)
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has revealed that he tried to ask former New Zealand Test captain Kane Williamson for some tips to beat India in Tests in the sub-continent. He didn’t get much information out, but the Kiwi did tell him to ‘make sure you win the toss,’ and Bavuma heeded it by starting ‘coin toss’ practice.
New Zealand is the only team to have ever whitewashed India at their home, doing so in 2024. Though Williamson didn’t play either of the three Tests due to a groin injury, he was part of the leadership group and the Kiwis’ preparatory camp that preceded the tour. New Zealand won two of the three tosses and the first that they lost, in Bengaluru, proved to be a lucky one as India’s decision to bat first backfired on a green top.
“I met up with Kane (Williamson) at an awards ceremony here in India a couple of months ago,” Bavuma said, on the eve of his side’s first of the two-Test series in India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. “I tried to ask him for some pointers. He wasn’t too open… but he did say ‘make sure that you win the toss’ So I have been practicing my coin tossing skills… but I guess you’ve just got to play good cricket. It is as easy, but as hard as that,” Bavuma added.
Bavuma realised that the ‘questions’ South Africa would face in India couldn’t be clearer, and the answers for them would need to be through individuals stepping up.
“When you come to India, you know the type of questions they are going to ask from a bowling point of view, from a batting point of view,” he said. “I believe our preparation is as good as it could have been. We just have to make sure that we stand up to the occasion. You are going to need certain players to stand up and make big plays. Aiden did it for us in the final, Kagiso did it for us with the ball. You come up against a formidable side like India in their own conditions, those are the type of things that you are going to require.”
November 13, 2025, 17:16 IST
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