Little Bavuma's lion-hearted performance wins admiration

Kagiso Rabada commanded respect and Keshav Maharaj sparked curiosity, but Temba Bavuma has crept into Australian hearts as a pint-sized talent with a Midas touch. The ABC called Bavuma the "X-factor" in South Africa's WACA win, with praise for his stoic batting, stunning fielding, surprisingly effective bowling, and continuous quest to seek out a high-five.

"Everybody loves him at the moment.He is a guy that things seem to happen around," said South Africa coach Russell Domingo.

Bavuma's fielding first caught international attention last November , when he was substituting for an injured Dale Steyn in Mohali. Bavuma was positioned at short leg when M Vijay inside edged a googly from Imran Tahir to his left. He dived full length to take the catch.

Later in the tour Bavuma impressed again when, with the series already lost, he was asked to open the batting in the final Test in Delhi. In an unfamiliar position, Bavuma scored 22 and 34 but spent more than four hours at the crease, longer than his predecessor Stiaan van Zyl had in five innings before he was dropped. That innings showed Bavuma's temperament to bat in Test cricket but few outside the team guessed he could bowl at this level too.

"Temba does a bit of bowling in the nets and everyone is like, "Woah, Temba, that's pretty good,"' Rabada said.

Most were pleased to hear that Bavuma can catch Rabada's attention somewhere, because he can be easy to miss on the field. When Rabada bowled Usman Khawaja on the second day of the Perth Test - South Africa's first wicket after Steyn had left the field with a broken shoulder - Bavuma waited and waited for his chance to congratulate Rabada. Eventually, it needed a tap on the shoulder before Rabada responded. The video went viral, watched many more times than training footage of South Africa's bowling coach Charl Langeveldt in discussion with Bavuma.

The conversation - which Langeveldt later said was about using the seam - hinted that Bavuma might be called on to make up for some of Steyn's absence. Australia's batsmen must have been looking forward to the relief. At 1.61 metres tall, with only 200 first-class balls to his name before the Test, how dangerous could Bavuma really be?

Dangerous enough to hit a crack, move back in and hit Usman Khawaja plumb in front of leg. Had Bavuma not overstepped, he could have been only the 21st bowler in Test cricket to take a wicket with his first ball. That his delivery stride occupies the entire area from the bowling crease to the popping crease will only add to his budding cult aura. The beamer that unsettled Josh Hazlewood the ball before Bavuma claimed his first Test wicket delighted his team-mates and the small WACA crowd.

For all the fun of his on-field heroics, Bavuma himself was ultra-serious in his analysis when he spoke to ABC. "I was obviously quite disappointed at that. We've spoken long and hard about no no-balls," he said. "As one of the batters who keeps on shouting at the bowlers for a no-ball, obviously it's not a great thing. I was happy to get a chance to bowl and things went decently (after that)."

Domingo confirmed Bavuma was similarly critical about his half-century in the first innings, knowing the responsibility he had in the middle order. "He will be the first to say he is disappointed that he didn't kick on after getting fifty," Domingo said. "He played really beautifully in that first innings and held it together for us. He is still learning but he is a good kid and a great asset for our team."

The Australian newspaper agreed, calling Bavuma a "competitive and wily" cricketer. For South Africans to see their players being so warmly embraced at what was once seen as among the most hostile places to tour, is a reassurance that the stresses of last summer may be overcome after all. For them to see their players of colour - long suspected of being included in squads to make up numbers - attract so much admiration and awe is another reassurance that this time, cricket's efforts to embrace change could be genuine, that opportunities are being provided to the right people, and that they are taking them, making names and winning hearts.