Allan Donald: Temba Bavuma's Proteas has the resilience to match the Class of 2000

Allan Donald shares a special relationship with India. It was at Eden Gardens, in South Africa’s emotional return to international cricket, where Donald snared the Proteas’ first-ever ODI five-wicket haul.

Donald also enjoyed many epic battles with India’s “Little Master” Sachin Tendulkar throughout their glorious careers, earning “White Lightning” the adulation of the Indian public, and was part of the last - and only - Proteas team to win a Test series in India. 

Twenty-five years later, Temba Bavuma’s Proteas side have the opportunity to carve out their own bit of history this weekend in Guwahati in the second and final Test, which started this morning. 

Bavuma’s side claimed a famous victory over their hosts last week at the very ground in Kolkata where it all started back in 1991, and the manner in which they fought back throughout the Test certainly impressed Donald. 

“That's going to go down as one of the best wins away from home and they're on the brink of becoming only the second South African side to have won in the subcontinent, in India,” Donald told Independent Media at the SA20 Schools Roadshow in Parklands yesterday.

“I remember the words of (former Proteas captain) Hansie Cronje saying we'll never be judged, we'll only be judged if we win in the subcontinent. 

“So, this Test team has definitely got that. I think they've got those ingredients. They fight and they fight hard and that was just awesome to watch.”

Donald remembers the Class of 2000’s heroics vividly and believes their feat can be emulated. 

“We played in Mumbai and in Bangalore. It was a magnificent tour,” he exclaimed. “It was the venues, we couldn't believe that we played in venues like that because we thought we're going to be taken to Guwahati and Indore and where it really spins.

“But it sort of worked in our favour and I think our pace attack was outstanding. But our spinner Nicky Boje, in the last Test match (Bangalore) got a bunch of wickets. He actually won the game for us in that second innings.

“So, it was just a great, great achievement from a really good team and I think that just watching this team grow and grow. This test team, there's a real resilience about them. There's a fight that I haven't seen in a while. I think there's a bit going on that makes you excited about this Test team.”

Although Guwahati is making its debut at India’s 30th Test venue this week, Donald remembers the Barsapara Stadium surface being significantly spin friendly, and feels that it will continue to do so over the course of five days. 

“I played in Guwahati many, many years ago and then one day I came in that spun.

So, I don't think we're going to see much change,” he said.

“But whatever India throw at us, I just think that South Africa have got it all covered.” 

In Donald’s current role as bowling coach at the Highveld Lions, he has worked with Bavuma at various junctures over the past two years. Donald has immense respect for the Proteas skipper and believes he is the strong underbelly that holds the team together. 

“Temba showed at Eden Gardens, having to scramble 50 off I don't know how many hundred balls, that was very hard, but he showed he was willing to do the work,” he said.

“He is leading from the front with his actions. He hung in there, his defence was outstanding against the turning ball. That 50 was a match-winning half-century. 

“Whenever Temba is with us at the Lions, he doesn’t speak much, but when he does, he speaks with authority and makes his point very clear.”