Temba Bavuma Breaks World Record with Ninth Test Victory

Key points

• Bavuma first captained South Africa in 2022/23 home Test series
• His winning streak hits six with Australia’s victory

ISLAMABAD: Temba Bavuma has guided South Africa to nine wins and one draw in his first ten Test matches, making him the most successful captain in the format at this stage of his career.

Bavuma first captained South Africa in the 2022/23 home Test series against the West Indies, where they secured victories in both matches. They also won the opening Test against India in Cape Town during the 2023/24 season.

However, Bavuma sustained an injury during that series and was unavailable for the second Test.

When South Africa’s tour of New Zealand coincided with the SA20, a second-string team was sent, resulting in defeats in both Tests. Upon his return, Bavuma captained the side at Port of Spain, where South Africa pushed for a win, but rain prevented a result.

At that point, Bavuma’s captaincy record stood at three wins and one draw. What followed was a streak of seven consecutive Test victories — one against the West Indies, two in Bangladesh (in Bavuma’s absence), and four more at home, with two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Bavuma’s winning streak

This remarkable run helped South Africa secure a place in the World Test Championship final.

A win against Australia in that final extended Bavuma’s winning streak to six consecutive matches. He became only the second captain, after Percy Chapman in the 1920s, to win nine of his first ten Tests, and just the second, after Warwick Armstrong (also from the 1920s), to remain unbeaten in his first ten.

Yet, Bavuma surpasses both predecessors. Armstrong had one fewer win, while Chapman did not remain unbeaten. Using the current World Test Championship points system, Bavuma would have had a points percentage (PCT) of 93.33 after ten Tests, compared to Chapman’s 90 and Armstrong’s 86.67.

Most wins in first 10 men’s Test matches as captain