SA vs AUS | Twitter impressed with Bavuma’s composure as he avoids taking the Bedingham route

‌Australia extended the advantage that they had racked up against South Africa in the World Test Championship 2025 final at Lord’s in the last hour of play on day two after being reduced to 73/7. Mitchell Starc scored an unbeaten half-century to help the Aussies past the 200-run mark and set a competitive target of 282 for the Proteas to win an elusive ICC title.

South Africa after losing Ryan Rickelton early on recovered well with a 61-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder. Once Mulder departed the Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma joined Markram and the duo built a solid partnership. With both players going past their fifties in the last session and SA also going past 150, the team put itself in the driver’s seat.

Just then a deja vu moment arose with the viewers quickly brushing their memory to the proceedings on day two when SA batter David Bedingham panicked after inside edging a ball on to his flap of the pads before quickly putting the ball to the ground with his hand before the ball was completely dead.

With spinner Nathan Lyon getting appreciable turn, he flighted one around off stump at a length and Bavuma, while trying to play it down the leg side inside edged it onto his pad in a similar way to Bedingham to find the ball trapped between his thigh and the flap. But the reaction of the batter was what stood out as he remained calm and composed to allow the ball to settle in.

Once the ball was dead, he checked with the close-in fielder to remove the ball and passed it on once he got the approval. Twitter was impressed with Bavuma’s calmness amidst a high-pressure innings as he continued his innings without any fuss.