South Africa were rocked early in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam, but experience came to the rescue. After being asked to bat first, the visitors lost Ryan Rickelton for a duck in the opening over and his second in two games, leaving them under pressure yet again. With India striking early, the innings needed stabilising, and two familiar guardians stepped forward.
Temba Bavuma – Quinton De Kock bring stability, bring history
Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock weathered the new-ball spell with calm, discipline and trust in each other. The pair absorbed the early swing, rotated strike smartly and ensured no further damage during the powerplay, taking South Africa to 42/1. Once settled, they shifted gears, de Kock leading the scoring, Bavuma anchoring, and together rebuilding with quiet authority.
Their partnership flourished into a 113-run stand for the second wicket, their seventh century partnership in ODIs, a milestone that elevates them into elite company. With this effort, the duo are now joint fourth on the list for the most 100-run stands by a South African pair in ODIs, tying them with iconic pairings involving AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Graeme Smith.
Most 100+ ODI Partnerships for South Africa
Hashim Amla & AB de Villiers - 12
Hashim Amla & Quinton de Kock - 11
Herschelle Gibbs & Graeme Smith - 11
Hashim Amla & Faf du Plessis - 9
Herschelle Gibbs & Jacques Kallis - 9
Herschelle Gibbs & Gary Kirsten - 9
AB de Villiers & JP Duminy - 7
AB de Villiers & Graeme Smith - 7
Temba Bavuma & Quinton de Kock - 7
The Bavuma–de Kock partnership has been evolving since their first stand of 159 against Ireland in 2016, and every time they bat together, they seem to write another chapter in South Africa's white-ball history.
