Kolkata: Temba Bavuma, recalling his meeting with former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson at a recent awards ceremony in Mumbai, showed off his lighter side. Last year, New Zealand stunned India 3-0 in their own conditions and Bavuma said he tried to glean some winning tips from the Kiwi great.

Delivered with a straight face, his deadpan humour had the press room in splits.

Not too long ago, though, he was at the centre of South Africa's humiliating exit from the 2023 World Cup in India. His form had deserted him, fitness concerns persisted and the abject capitulation had everyone baying for his head. The smile that now lights up his face had been wiped away by the weight of criticism and his own disappointment.

The World Test Championship triumph, however, has turned the narrative a

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