Temba Bavuma shatters 100-year record with WTC win; no Ponting, Kohli or Dhoni close to his epic Test captaincy feat
Temba Bavuma instantly elevated himself to one of the great sporting leaders in his country's famous history, leading South Africa to a first major ICC title with a victory over Australia in the World Test Championship title. Beyond just going where no South African captain had gone before, Bavuma also made history by doing something no Test captain for any country in the history of the sport had done before, rising to the top of a historic list.
Bavuma's eighth Test win in a row was also his ninth win overall in his first 10 matches as Test captain. With a record of 9 wins and one draw, with no losses, Bavuma officially became the most successful captain in Test cricket in their first 10 matches. Bavuma broke a century-old record, taking over the mantle from English captain Percy Chapman, who had nine wins but also a solitary loss when he took over English captaincy in 1926.
It has been a truly historic run from the South African skipper, putting all the doubters away and commandeering a truly historic feat for the Proteas. Beyond just his fabulous winning run, Bavuma also oversaw South Africa getting over the hump at an ICC tournament, by beating the mighty Australians.
Bavuma also outdid Ricky Ponting, the most modern captain with a comparable record, who had 8 wins, and a draw and a loss each in his first 10 matches. While Ponting's record came with what is widely considered the strongest and most dominant Test team of all time, Bavuma took over an unheralded South African team that was still a work in progress in late 2023, and has crafted a winning machine that will forever be remembered fondly in cricket' history books.
The batter also outdid India's best performers, with Virat Kohli having won only six, drawing three and losing once in his early days as the skipper in red ball cricket. While MS Dhoni was unbeaten in his first 10 matches, it was with 5 wins and 5 draws.
The Proteas beat Australia by 5 wickets at Lord's, thanks to 136 scored by Aiden Markram, but also a determined and brave 66 by Bavuma during the 282-run chase, despite batting with a strained hamstring and clear pain. Leading from the front, Bavuma ensured that his team eliminated their long-time mental hurdle, and produced a win that could prove to be a remarkable flashpoint for South African cricket.
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