Faf sends Bavuma for toss, SA lose it again

Ranchi, October 19

In a bid to end his losing streak at the toss, South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis brought Temba Bavuma as a proxy captain for the third Test. However, luck did not favour South Africa as the coin landed in favour of India skipper Virat Kohli who chose to bat for the third time in the three-match series. After winning the toss, even Kohli couldn’t help but laugh at the helplessness of the South Africa captain. “It shows that it isn’t meant to be (win the toss with a proxy captain),” du Plessis said after losing his 10th consecutive toss in Asia.

Former captain Graeme Smith was not impressed with du Plessis’ said it reflected the mindset of the visitors who have been struggling to get going in the ongoing series. “It was a quirky moment but for me it was a little bit pathetic,” Smith said on TV. “It just shows the mindset of the South African side. I didn’t enjoy seeing that. I would rather see the South Africa captain stand there, own his position. You know, they are looking at the wrong places for the reasons they have lost the game. Unfortunately, they haven’t played well enough. Yes, winning the toss in the Subcontinent is a nice thing to do but if you play well enough, you can still compete.” — PTI