- “Tough times seem to bring out the best in me,” says Temba Bavuma. The South African team posted a career-best 179 points against Australia at St George’s Park and led 110-6 to 425 declared points to nine in a replay.
- “Difficult times seem to bring out the best in me,” says Temba Bavuma (Photo by Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images) Temba Bavuma scored a career-high 179 on the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park on October 20, 2026.
- South Africa recovered from a precarious 110-6 to post a score of 425 from nine declared games. Bavuma’s innings laid the foundation for the recovery after the team progressed to 97-5 on day three.
“Tough times seem to bring out the best in me,” says Temba Bavuma. The South African team posted a career-best 179 points against Australia at St George’s Park and led 110-6 to 425 declared points to nine in a replay.
“Difficult times seem to bring out the best in me,” says Temba Bavuma (Photo by Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images) Temba Bavuma scored a career-high 179 on the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park on October 20, 2026. South Africa recovered from a precarious 110-6 to post a score of 425 from nine declared games. Bavuma’s innings laid the foundation for the recovery after the team progressed to 97-5 on day three. The South African team battled through bowler-friendly conditions over the first two rain-shortened days before picking up the pace on the third morning.
Bavuma faced 334 balls during his stay at the crease and hit 18 fours and sixes. After his innings, the ctain spoke about the challenge of batting in difficult conditions and how adversity made him change his proach. It was his fifth Test hundred and his first century against Australia, surpassing his previous highest Test score of 172.
“Everything was in the bowler’s favor [when he came to the crease]: the overheads, the pitching. We had lost two early wickets. I have found myself in situations like this several times.
It seems to bring out the best in me. From a practical point of view it was no different. I always did it like that, I was stuck,” Bavuma said at the press conference, quoted by Cricbuzz.
“I am proud to put the team in a competitive position. What was different from a personal perspective was that I was able to score this time,” he added. Bavuma’s partnership with Marco Jansen brought 132 runs for the seventh wicket off 186 balls before Jansen departed after scoring 85.
After Jansen’s dismissal, Bavuma formed a record-breaking eighth wicket partnership in South Africa with Simon Harmer. The pair added 182 runs, with Harmer contributing 82 to take South Africa’s total score above 400. Bavuma acknowledged the contributions of his lower-order partners in stabilizing the innings.
“Marco took the bowlers on. He could find the middle of the bat and the G’s in the field. Simon plied himself.
They charge a high price for their wickets,” Bavuma said. The club’s ability to put together a formidable innings with support from the lower division proved crucial in building a competitive total. Bavuma reflected on the difficulty of maintaining his proach over extended innings.
“I wouldn’t say it was easier to hit. From a mental perspective, nothing has really changed for me. I always tried to be as tight as possible and hit the ball as straight as possible.
And extend that schedule as long as possible, he said. I never really felt in. Every now and then a ball would jump a length or bite.
But when the ball got a little softer, we felt a little more comfortable,” Bavuma said. With half an hour to go, Bavuma was finally caught by Mitchell Starc. Australia’s response began with Nic Maddinson falling in the first over and replacing Kagiso Rabada at slip for a duck.
South Africa trails 1-0 after Australia won the first Test by 214 runs at Kingsmead from October 9-13, 2026. Ahead of the Australian innings, Bavuma highlighted the importance of South Africa’s bowling performance in the remaining two days. “If we want to be on the right side of the result we need to spend the majority of these two days on the pitch,” he said.
Mentally we have to prepare for it overnight. There is still something on the pitch, especially with this new ball. If we can put the ball in the right place for a long time, anything can hpen.
We want to aim for victory and we will do everything to make it hpen,” Bavuma concluded.
