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South Africa’s glorious triumph in the World Test Championship will be a huge morale booster for cricket in the country. It’s likely to be as significant as the 1983 World Cup victory was for India. But while India was led by the tall and heroic Kapil Dev, who was one of the world’s best all-rounders, South Africa was led by a tiny man who did not even look like a sportsman.

But if the skipper of the Rainbow Nation, Temba Bavuma lacked the flamboyance and charisma of Kapil Dev, he made up for it with his gritty determination. For a major chunk of his solid innings of 66, he batted with a hamstring injury and defied the tearaway fast bowlers from down under.

He overcame his personal hurdles. Throughout his career, he had plenty of critics. They said he was too short, too fat, that he was just a quota selection, and that he was not the right captain for South Africa. These statements were not merely whispers, they were loud and clear assertions in the media.

But Bavuma disregarded all the loose talk and focussed on his goal ever since he was named captain of the side. He had been named Temba by his grandmother. The word means hope. Yesterday he lived up to his name and brought new hope and resurgence to South Africa.

The tallest warrior

The man who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the captain was Aiden Markram. He proved to be the team’s tallest and strongest warrior. By playing like a sheet anchor and scoring 136 runs in 207 balls, Markram took his country to the doorstep of a historic victory before he was out. When he was finally dismissed, only six more runs were needed and the task was completed by Kyle Verreyne.

Today South Africa has emerged as a mature and strong-minded team. Bavuma’s bravehearts have done it at last and the whole world is happy for them. Almost every fan in India wanted these men to win. Because South Africa has journeyed along an uphill road and struggled for so long, that they deserved a victory at last. They have overcome the bogey of choking at the end.

Dark days of apartheid

South African cricket went through many ups and downs. There was a time when blacks were not allowed to play. It is likely that many young Black players failed to fulfill their potential.

When SA was ostracised in 1970 due to its apartheid policies, the White players were affected too. Many of them were great players like Barry Richards, Mike Proctor, Eddie Barlow, Ali Bacher, Colin Bland, and the Pollock brothers. Some like Tony Greig, Kepler Wessels, Allan Lamb, Robin Smith, and others switched loyalties to chase their dreams.

Accepted back under Mandela

Then in 1991, under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, the nation of South Africa was accepted back in the fold of international cricket. Their first tour was to India. The team seemed to be making progress. The country produced excellent players like Jhonty Rhodes, Brian MacMillan, Alan Donald, and Lance Klusener. But the match-fixing scandal centered around captain Hansie Cronje, destroyed South Africa’s dreams one more time.

The country’s experiment with the racial quota policy to give non-white players a better deal did not work too well but the team struggled along as best as they could. Their habit of losing crucial matches earned them the tag of the top chokers of international cricket.

The night before the victory at the Lords ground, as the team was close to creating history, what could have been going on in the minds of the skipper and his men? There must have been immense pressure and tension. But that is what sport is all about. One has to stand tall and withstand pressure. That is the quality that separates the men from the boys.

Legends were watching

Some of the legends of South African cricket were present at the ground. Shaun Pollock was in the commentary box, Graeme Smith was seen waiting eagerly near the boundary, and AB de Villiers was also spotted in the stands with his son.

The three of them had suffered numerous heartbreaks as the team failed to lay its hands on the elusive World Cup trophy. But on Saturday they were able to watch their flag fly high as their beloved South African team scripted history.

Victory for Test cricket too

What made this contest even more significant was that it had all the nail-biting moments that are associated with Test cricket. It was not just a slambang battle like the ones seen in ODI and T20 limited-overs match. It was a clash of physical skills and endurance as well as mental resolve and willpower. All these aspects of the game were on display. So the electrifying match at Lords was also a victory for Test cricket.