"It was similar for MS Dhoni" - Ex-South African captain compares Temba Bavuma to Indian legend after IND vs SA 2025 Test series win

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has made a massive statement on Temba Bavuma after the Proteas' historic Test series win on Indian soil. Reflecting on Bavuma's demeanour, De Villiers said he reminds him a lot of MS Dhoni, who hardly raised his voice with his teammates.Bavuma became the first South African captain since Hansie Cronje (in 2000) to win a Test series on Indian soil. The 35-year-old has yet to lose a Test as captain, having won 11 out of 12 in the format. He had also earned the Player of the Match award in the opening Test in Kolkata for his gritty 55 in the second innings.Speaking about Bavuma to Ravichandran Ashwin in the latest video on his YouTube channel 'Ashwin,' de Villiers said the Proteas captain has surprised him with his achievements despite not carrying the visible aura that Graeme Smith had."South Africa lost that one Test in Pakistan which I think they should never have lost," he said. "But he didn’t play that Test, so he got off. I mean he surprised all of us. I’ve been in connection with my friends for years, for the first few years that he was named captain and I even was hesitant to say you know what I’m very confident about the call. Maybe it comes back to that old phrase, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’. He doesn’t look big like Greame Smith with a whole aura walking and that presence where he can be intimidating."He continued:"Temba is very, very small. He’s a soft-spoken guy and hardly ever raises his voice. It just shows you the different styles of captaincy can be successful. I think it’s similar for MS Dhoni maybe back in the day also. I hardly ever heard his voice. He was quite calm, didn’t speak much but when he did speak, I think people listened to him. I think that might be a similar case with Temba."The Cape Town-born cricketer also became the first Proteas captain since Cronje to win an ICC title when he led South Africa to victory in the World Test Championship final in June this year."There’s been a lot of emphasis over the last 10 years on South African players to play spin better" - AB de VilliersAB de Villiers. (Image Credits: Getty)When asked by Ashwin about South Africa's improved technique against spin, whether it has evolved over the years or there has been an increased emphasis on domestic cricket to improve, de Villiers said it's a mixture of both. He singled out Tony de Zorzi's clarity of mindset and remarked:"I think it’s a combination of both. The players have sort of got more exposure over the last while and got better in sub-continent conditions. You saw Team India go to England not long ago and looked completely at home with short-ball stuff and moving deliveries off the seamers. So, that is one element thereof and other one I feel is just really finding yourself in a group of players where there is a solid game plan and belief. I think that’s the case with de Zorzi. He looks around him and goes 'you know my role is incredibly clear because of good leadership'"."Also, I think there’s been a lot of emphasis over the last 10 years on South African players to play spin better. That has obviously changed because of T20s and IPL, formats like that showing different kinds of skillsets," he added.South Africa will now turn their attention to the ODI series against India, beginning November 30 in Ranchi.