Bavuma moves on from T20 World Cup trauma

Bavuma's charges brushed aside the West Indies by 284 runs an hour before tea on the fourth day to claim a 2-0 series win and retain the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy. The Test series success was South Africa's first in nearly a year after a drawn series in New Zealand at the start of March last year was followed up by a 2-0 home dusting of Bangladesh and consecutive series losses against England and Australia away.

Sandwiched in between those Test series losses that cost the Proteas a place in the World Test Championship final was the T20 World Cup implosion where SA exited the tournament after losing their last group game to the Netherlands. Bavuma had cast a crestfallen and emotional figure in the OR Tambo International Airport and with him ascending to the Test leadership, he relinquished the T20 captaincy. He was in a far different space after celebrating his first Test series win as captain.

"What happened in Australia took place a long time ago, if I could put it that way," Bavuma said. "In the reference to what happened in the T20 World Cup, I'm past it now. It's happened and I've moved on from it.

"I'm here now and my mind is in a different space now. I'm happy with how my team has played and in the manner that we gained the victory."

Bavuma missed the England tour through injury, but was again called upon to play firefighting knocks in the 2-0 loss in Australia.

On accepting the Test match leadership, he joined a select band of leaders who made a pair on their