‘Thorn in my career’: Star’s nine-hour masterpiece as stunning surge hits new high

If the sight of the Baggy Green inspires the fire within Kagiso Rabada, playing against Australia also brings out the best in Temba Bavuma.

With the famous brass band at St George’s Park in Gqeberha in full swing and school kids cheering with joy every time he scored a run, the South African captain produced a masterpiece on Day 3.

In recording a magnificent 179, the highest score of a landmark career, across a nine-hour vigil at the crease, Bavuma led his side from a perilous 6-110 to a position of dominance by stumps on the third day.

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They may not win this Test but now they will not lose the series in the port city.

And with Bavuma firing, Rabada back and bass brand blasting away, it feels like the series is alive.

That is due to Bavuma’s brilliance.

Having survived a hat-trick ball from Scott Boland under heavy skies on day one, and then a searching late afternoon session on the second rain-marred day, he diced an ailing and somewhat listless Aussie attack on Day 3.

“I obviously walked into a tricky situation. I think everything was in the bowlers’ favour with the conditions overhead (and) the wicket itself,” he said.

“I have found myself in those situations quite a number of times and I guess it seems to bring out the best in me.

“I got myself stuck in (and I) pride myself in getting the team into a competitive position and I guess what was different, more from a personal point of view this time, was being able to go through and put up a score.

“That was, I guess, from a personal point of view, very good.”

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Bavuma and Australian captain Pat Cummins went head-to-head throughout the day but it is indisputable who had the best of the battle within a battle, with the Protea pulling the champion bowler to the fence with sweetly for four to bring up his century.

By the end, the South African fell 21 short of a double-century.

But Cummins removed himself from the attack within range of making an unwanted century himself when finishing at 0-96 from 26 overs, which is not far off his worst bowling figures.

“I guess that was fun … for everyone watching,” Bavuma said.

“They force you to bring out your A-game, to play at your best. And I think for us as South Africans, we look for those types of opportunities to get in the fight.

“We don’t want to back away or anything like that and it just makes it much more of a battle.

“There’s still two days left in the game, so I think with momentum (and) belief, whatever it is that you want to take from today, we want to carry that through over the next two days and take all that good work to keep going on as well.”

Aiding Bavuma through his innings were Marco Jansen, who blasted a superb 85 from 100 deliveries, and Simon Harmer, who made 82 when sharing a Proteas record-setting eight-wicket partnership of 183.

Former Australian opener Simon Katich said that, aside from Bavuma’s resilience, one of the things that has most impressed him during the veteran’s tenure in charge is the fact he has improved both himself and also helped his teammates become better players.

Bavuma made just one century - a famous one, admittedly, as it was the first made by a black South African in Test cricket - and averaged 34 with the bat before earning the captaincy.

Since then he has made four more, and is averaging above 50, having led his nation to 11 wins from 13 Tests and, most famously, the World Test Championship at Lord’s last year.

After twin failures in Durban last week, he batted exhaustively in the nets over a number of days leading into this Test, and practice clearly made perfect as he found his rhythm.

He had always wanted to make a century against Australia given the respect he has for the Cummins-led attack, and did so with distinction to keep his nation’s series hopes alive.

The first black South African to captain his country, Bavuma said his maiden ton in Cape Town against England in 2016 will forever remain his favourite given its significance.

But the one he made on Tuesday, in front of a generation of schoolkids who consider him their favourite player, is extremely special as well.

“I’m happy that I was able to get one against Australia in Test cricket,” he said.

“I haven’t had time to kind of let it all sink in but I think obviously the one at Newlands (against England in 2016) will always be there at the top for a lot of reasons.

“The one thing … just from a personal point of view is the fact that I was able to get the team out of a tough situation, but also from a personal point of view, to go on to get a big hundred.

“ That’s obviously something that’s been a thorn in my batting career, so it was nice to maintain (my concentration) and get over that.

“When you play here at St George’s, you definitely hear the band. It can fire you up, if I could say it that way.

“ I think they kind of created a little bit of theatre when I got into the 90s (and it) probably got the better of me at a certain time.

“But part of the beauty of playing here at St George’s (is) you can use that to your benefit.”