It’s been two consecutive T20I series wins for South Africa’s shorter-formats captain Temba Bavuma, and there’s no question that the progress means plenty to him. Constantly at the receiving end of criticism, Bavuma produced his best knock in T20Is in the 3rd T20I against Ireland.

Not known to be a big hitter, Bavuma started off rather carefully before stepping on the gas during the second half of the innings. When asked about the more circumspect approach during the Powerplay overs, he justified it as follows:

“From a batting perspective, yes, the approach was different. We felt that we wanted to lay down the platform early on. We went about it we’ll in the first six overs given the conditions. In the past we’ve tried to be overly aggressive, but that’s not really worked since we lost several early wickets as a result. It’s all about staying true to the game plan. And I always put aside my own personal ambitions to do what’s needed for the team.”

Between the West Indies series and the recently completed Ireland series, Bavuma has come in at first drop as well as opened the innings. As far as batting positions are concerned, it’s all about how well he can apply himself and bat according to the situation, versus choosing the ideal batting position.

“A lot of guys have put their hand up and been given the chance to open. From a team selector’s point of view, it’s quite a headache. At the moment the coaches are backing me and Quinton to do the job. Numbers 4-6 are solidified right now, but going back to the selection, it’s a good headache to have.”

“From my side, I’ve always batted at No 3 (at domestic level) and I’ve enjoyed controlling the innings from that position. With that being considered, the coaches understand the relationship and synergy I have with Quinton and that’s been encouraged. I’m not too fazed about whether I open or come at No 3. It’s all about best executing what’s required.”

The Proteas have won six of their last eight T20Is, and that has definitely kindled their spirit. From struggling in this format for the better part of last year to finally unearthing the much-needed consistency, there’s a lot to appreciate in the progress made thus far.

“Winning becomes a habit (over time). There’s a lot of confidence that we can take from this. We’ve been trying to work on everything, and there’s no other better way to regain confidence and self-belief through victories. This may not have been our best cricket per se, but we are managing to win.”

Now this series win may not appear to be something to be over the moon about, but every game counts. With the T20WC coming up, there’s little to no room for error, and Bavuma is acutely aware of that.

“No, we aren’t downplaying the win against Ireland by any means. But then again, we all understand the seriousness (of preparing for the tournament).”

There still are lingering question marks as to who will make the best Proteas T20I XI in addition to the availability of certain players. Another talking point is batting positions and how to elicit the best from every player since that’s been something of a continuing struggle in the previous series. But keeping up the winning ways have sustained the positivity among the Proteas camp.

“Yeah, I think the two recent series have given us a pretty clear idea and understanding. More importantly, we need to know the roles that we want each of us to play. At the moment I’d probably say we’re around 75% there. We’ll be visiting Sri Lanka next, and over there it’s more spin-conducive. We aren’t yet a finished product, and there are still are areas to iron out, especially the batting.”

Bavuma acknowledging the need to improve and his hunger for greater success further underline South Africa’s burgeoning headway. The learning process continues, game by game, series by series. For any balanced team, it takes sound strategies and adeptness with all skills to win games and tournaments. Having played in various venues with a spectrum of conditions on offer, South Africa are on course to further enhance their brand of play and become a strong force to reckon with in the near future.