Temba Bavuma South African batsman Temba Bavuma said he had taken his thigh pads off and that it was “sort of too late” to return to the crease when he realized that he had not got his bat to ball when he was dismissed caught behind for 71 in the Test against Sri Lanka earlier this week.
“Yes, that happened,” Bavuma said at the post match media conference, according to SuperSport.
The incident, a rare show of a batsman walking without being out, happened in the 91st over of the South African first innings of the 1st Test this week. Bavuma, then on 71, was facing Dasun Shanaka. Shanaka bowled a back of a length delivery which Bavuma flashed at. There were appeals, the umpire was unmoved, but the last word was had by Bavuma, who decided to walk off anyway.
“I heard a sound,” Bavuma explained his decision to walk.
“My first intuition was to stroll after which clearly after I noticed on the highlights, there was daylight between the ball. Yes, that happened,” he said.
— Simran (@CowCorner9) December 28, 2020
“I used to be already off and I already had my thigh pad and pads off, so it was sort of too late by then.”
There has been speculation on social media over whether the umpires should have called Bavuma back.
The way I understand it – if the umpire gave him out, then they can call him back even if he crossed the line. If he walked and the umpire didn’t give it out and then crossed the line, he can’t come back. Very unfortunate for Temba. https://t.co/jKXSRLtO3u
— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) December 28, 2020
South Africa, notwithstanding Bavuma’s ‘integrity’, won the match by an innings and 45 runs.