Temba Bavuma "Mentally Fresh" Ahead of All-Important Sri Lanka Tests

The much anticipated two-match Test series between South Africa and Sri Lanka is finally upon us as the two teams get the series opener underway at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Wednesday.

Temba Bavuma, captain of the Proteas Test team, has had all eyes on him throughout the build-up of the series as many wondered if the 34-year-old would recover in time from his elbow injury to participate in what is the biggest series for his team and him as the leader of the side.

The series carries a lot of weight as both teams are in contention to qualify for next year's World Test Championship final at Lord's, a feat that made Bavuma's fitness even more important given that he is not only the most experienced batter in the side but also the captain of the team.

When the 34-year-old passed his fitness tests at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria last week and was announced in the squad for the upcoming series, there was a sense of relief in the country as that meant that the captain would be out in the field with his team as they look to create history and play in their first World Test Championship final.

SportsBoom's Ongama Gcwabe attended a media engagement on day two of the Proteas Test camp in Pretoria last week and asked Bavuma how he felt and where he feels his game is at having not played any cricket in almost two months.

Fitness update

"Today is our second day at the camp and getting to face the bowlers, the intensity has been ramped up and everything feels good at this point," he said.

"Mentally, I'm quite fresh and excited as well to have the opportunity again to be batting, to be putting on my pads, to be running on the field so from that point of view I'm feeling quite fresh.

"Then I think from a skill point of view, you just got to build it, right? It's just about building that confidence, feeling myself hitting the ball out the middle, feeling your movements are moving the way that you want but from a mental point of view I am as fresh as I can be."

Are there scars from the 2019 series loss?

Sri Lanka had a series victory over the Proteas in 2019, and Bavuma alongside fast bowler Kagiso Rabada and slow left-arm orthodox Keshav Maharaj were all involved in that series.

For the next two weeks, the trio will return to Kingsmead Stadium and St George's Park Cricket Stadium, where they lost the series five years ago, to right their wrongs.

Bavuma admitted that there could be a sense of wanting to redeem themselves over the next two weeks against an experienced Sri Lanka team.

"Does it play a role? I guess it's something that you're aware of," Bavuma admitted that they are aware of the fact that they were involved in that series, the first and only Test series loss to an Asian team.

"Maybe there could be a case of guys wanting to rectify those wrongs. In saying that, when we did play against them, things went our way so we just accept it for what it is. I honestly don't think it's an issue."

South Africa has momentum on their side, having recently won a series in the Caribbean and Bangladesh. Similarly, Sri Lanka is fresh from a series over New Zealand, which makes this series even more interesting.