SA vs AUS: Fans troll Temba Bavuma's "0" contribution as captain gets out for a DUCK against Australia

When South Africa secured the second spot in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 points table, credit was rightly given to key players like Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and more. Surprisingly, amidst the praise, the team's captain, Temba Bavuma, received little to no mention from fans.

Bavuma's individual campaign in the tournament has been challenging, with only 145 runs scored in eight matches at an average of 18.12 and a strike rate of 73.60. 

As the opening batter, he posted scores of 8 (vs SL), 35 (vs AUS), 16 (vs NED), 28 (vs PAK), 24 (vs NZ), 11 (vs IND), and 23 (vs AFG). He did not play against England and Bangladesh and was a doubtful starter for the knockout clash due to a hamstring injury.

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Despite being part of the squad, Bavuma faced dismissal for a duck in the ongoing 2nd semi-final against Australia at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Opting to bat first after winning the toss in heavy overcast conditions, Bavuma, acknowledging his not fully fit status, expressed confidence in playing. However, he came under immediate pressure from the new ball specialist Mitchell Starc in the very first over, eventually losing his wicket on the final ball.

In the aftermath, fans took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to mock the batter for his "zero" contribution in the crucial knockout game.

Australia has the South African batters in a tight spot with the new ball, as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood utilize the overcast conditions to make the ball move. After 24 overs in the first innings, the Proteas find themselves at 79 for 4.

While the forecast has predicted rain for the semi-final contest, the current weather conditions have only brought dense cloud cover without any precipitation.

It's worth mentioning that a reserve day is designated for the match, ensuring a backup plan in case rain becomes the decisive factor as the day unfolds.