Rabada: Bavuma did a stellar job with the ball

Kagiso Rabada has praised Proteas captain Temba Bavuma for his bowling effort against Bangladesh at the Wanderers on Sunday.

South Africa won the Pink ODI by seven wickets to level the series 1-1. The third and deciding match will take place in Centurion on Wednesday.

The Proteas restricted Bangladesh to 194-9, but the visitors had been 34-5 at one stage and in danger of not reaching three figures.

The hosts were hampered by an injury to recalled left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell, who left the field with a hamstring injury five balls into his third over.

South Africa had picked only five bowlers. Rabada had already bowled seven of his 10 overs in his opening spell of 3-25 and Bavuma had to rely on his own slow-medium bowling and the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj for much of the innings.

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Bavuma bowled steadily and conceded only 22 runs in 6.1 overs. Rassie van der Dussen had to bowl the 49th over after Bavuma suffered a finger injury in trying to take a sharp return chance off Afif.

“Temba does bowl sometimes in the nets, especially when we’re preparing to play Test cricket,” said Rabada, who took 5-39 and was named Man of the Match.

“He stopped doing that because he realises how tough it is. The next morning he’s got aches and pains and seems to complain about it!

“I actually haven’t seen him bowl so many overs in a match situation. Temba’s actually a surprisingly decent bowler. I don’t think many teams would expect him to bowl as well as he does.

“He did a stellar job.”

Meanwhile, Van der Dussen conceded just three runs in his solitary over and picked up a wicket.

“Yeah, Rassie will definitely now be throwing around the remark that he’s a genuine all-rounder,” joked Rabada. “He’s going to keep asking for the ball now going forward.”