South Africa will have to head into the second Test and the series decider against Bangladesh in Chattogram without the services of their captain Temba Bavuma. The designated captain of the Proteas is yet to fully recover from an elbow injury and therefore his deputy Aiden Markram will lead the team again in his absence.
Markram was remarkable as captain of the Proteas in the first Test. He displayed tactical nous to lead his team to a comfortable seven-wicket win in Mirpur.
Bavuma is expected to regain his fitness before the start of their two-match Test series at home against Sri Lanka in November-December.
"We just feel medically he's not going to be ready for the second Test," South Africa's red-ball head coach Shukri Conrad was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "We will tone down the (rehabilitation) programme so that he can be ready for the Sri Lankan series."
Conrad mentioned that he would like Bavuma to stay in Bangladesh with the rest of the team for the tour rather than go back home as the former believes that the latter can still contribute a lot to the team while sitting on the sidelines.
"I'd like him to stay [in Bangladesh], and I've communicated that with him," Conrad said. "But I also know that he's got a young family. But yes, I'd like him to stay. He still plays a valuable role. It's still his team. We'll see how it unfolds."
South Africa have a great chance of winning the series and progressing on the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was in phenomenal rhythm in the first game as he claimed figures of 9/72 and laid the foundation of the win alongside wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne.
"KB (Kagiso) led from the front there with the ball. He carried this attack, as he has done for quite a while now. And then backed up by some really valuable contributions by others with the ball, and then guys with the bat as well," Conrad said in appreciation of Rabada.
