Temba Bavuma: Lots of hunger and desire to put in winning performances for the team

Bavuma came into the two Test matches having not played any competitive cricket for more than a month, having to recover from an elbow injury suffered against Ireland in Abu Dhabi on 4 October.

The lack of time in the middle did not hamper the Proteas skipper however as he notched up scores of 70, 113, 78 and 66 across the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Durban and Gqeberha.

Bavuma's runs were pivotal as home side went 1-0 up with a 233-run win at Kingsmead before closing out the series with a 109-run victory at St George's Park on Monday.

"Coming into the series, from a preparation point of view, felt a lot different from what I've been accustomed to," Bavuma said.

"I wasn't able to do a lot of skill work, but I worked more on the mental side and just trusted that my skill and ability would still be there.

"What helped me is that there was a lot of hunger and desire to put in winning performances for the team."

The 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka means the Proteas went to the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table and two more wins against Pakistan at home over the festive period will guarantee a place in the final in June next year.

Bavuma has often, unfairly, copped plenty of criticism from fans in South Africa for his performances for the national side but they have been quiet during the Sri Lanka series as the runs flowed and he led the team superbly.

The Proteas skipper added: "My focus is always on myself and the team and what I can do from that perspective. The longer you play, the more you accept that as much as you do well, there will be people who are not happy that you're doing well.

"They're waiting for the opportunity to say what they want to say. Us as sportsmen, through our performances, want to make sure that we don't give them that opportunity.

"I guess the silence being there is a good thing. Maybe it's not so much of a good thing for the people who want something to write about. But we'll continue to focus on ourselves, the team, and what it is that we would like to achieve."