After leading South Africa to a thrilling 30-run victory over India in a tense first Test, captain Temba Bavuma shared the simple mindset that kept his team in the fight, even when things looked tough. His own "fighting 55 not out" on a very difficult pitch was the backbone of the win, an innings that truly kept the Proteas in the game.

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When asked about the victory, Bavuma pointed to a simple, powerful belief. "We tried to stay in the game as much as we could," he explained. "It's not every time that you score 120-125 and you feel that that's a winning score. It was just a case of staying in the game and to keep believing." That belief was crucial. Bavuma’s innings, along with important partnerships with Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen, gave South Africa just enough of a lead to defend.

Temba Bavuma said those partnerships "just gave a little bit of impetus." For Bavuma, the win was a reward for holding on. "Very exciting," he said, "You want to be a part of those types of games and obviously be on the right side of the result. I think we tried to hold our ground as much as we could." Speaking about his own gritty batting, Bavuma sounded happy with how he adapted his game. "From a batting point of view, I'm just comfortable with myself, with my technique and not worried about triggering and all those types of things," he stated.

"I have a decent understanding of the game. I've come here to India wanting to do well." Temba Bavuma was honest about his past struggles in India, which made this performance even sweeter. "I don't have the greatest of records when it comes to these conditions," he admitted. "So it's a bit of that exuberance on my side to see myself learning these conditions and implement all the little things that I'm trying and keep contributing for the team."

He even shared a small technical tweak, saying, "Opening up the leg a little bit (helped in the second innings)," but also humbly added, "And luck, we all need luck." Bavuma didn't just contribute with the bat. He also took a crucial catch to dismiss Axar Patel when India was gaining momentum. "It wasn't easy. I'm just glad I got a hand to it," he said. "Crucial moment again... I was able to grab him with my small hands. Those are the moments that you want to be a part of. You don't want to give it to someone else. You want to be doing it for the team."