Rawalpindi [Pakistan], February 24 (ANI): South Africa captain Temba Bavuma isn’t expecting a walk in the park against a pace-depleted Australian side in their upcoming Champions Trophy fixture on Tuesday in Rawalpindi.
Australia entered the marquee event without its decorated pace trio featuring Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Adding to that, the Baggy Greens were further impacted by Mitchell Marsh’s injury and Marcus Stoinis taking a sudden retirement.
Bavuma is wary of Australia and discarded the possibility of taking them lightly despite its lack of ‘heavy artillery’ for the much-anticipated affair.
“I mean, any Australian outfit that comes together for an ICC event is always one that you don’t take lightly. Yes, they don’t have, I guess, their mainstay bowling attack, but I think they still have enough to be successful as a team, like you mentioned with their batting. Maybe it could be a case of their batters maybe doing a little bit more than what they’re accustomed to,” Bavuma said in the pre-match press conference.
Despite missing its famed stars, Australia put on a show in Gaddafi Stadium against their arch-rival England. Australia’s inexperienced bowling unit failed to constrain English batters and got hammered away for 351/8.
In reply, Josh Inglis spearheaded the attack with the bat and covered Lahore’s sky with his fireworks. He produced a swashbuckling 120* to help Australia chase down a record-breaking 352-run total with a couple of overs to spare.
While reaffirming his stance of not taking the opposition lightly, Bavuma sees Australia’s callow bowling department as an area that they would like to exploit in Rawalpindi.
“So I think, like with any team, there are opportunities, and like you rightfully said, probably within the bowling, there’s opportunities, and I think if that presents itself on the day, we’ll definitely be looking to make use of that opportunity. But in saying that, we definitely won’t be taking them lightly,” he added.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka. (ANI)
