IND vs SA | Twitter in awe as Guwahati make Temba Bavuma feel like one of their own with raucous welcome

South Africa got off to the perfect start in the second Test against India on Saturday, at the Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati which became the 30th Indian venue to host a Test match. On a pitch that looked settled with enough in it for batters and bowlers, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton stitched together a 82-run opening stand after KL Rahul spilled a catch early in the day. However, just as the duo seemed set to ensure a wicket-less session for the visitors, Jasprit Bumrah broke through Markram with the last ball before Lunch, and Kuldeep Yadav made it a double whammy by dispatching Rickleton three balls after resumption. The Assam crowd was ecstatic at the development but the celebratory cheer quickly gave way to an endearing applause once they realized who was walking in.

Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma strode onto the ground with utmost confidence, warming-up as he made his way to the 22-yard strip to prepare for another marathon in the middle. However, he could not have prepared himself for people around the arena rising up for him and shooting the decibel levels through the roof to welcome South Africa's first ever black Test skipper. The 35-year-old's 55 in the first game had proved decisive for the tourists enroute to a slender win in the low-scoring game that had also attracted controversy after the stump mics caught Bumrah calling him a 'bauna' (dwarf) during a DRS discussion with his teammates. Perhaps it served as fuel and the crowd felt obliged to offer any form of apology they could, but the fact that Bavuma enjoys tremendous respect in the nation for leading his country to their first ever marquee title in the form of the World Test Championship last year is undenaible.

Twitterati was quick to comment on the wholesomeness of it all.

Skipper Entry!

Yeah!

Nightmare!

Fifty partnership!

50!

Bavuma!

Horrific!

Unlucky!

Very Lucky!

Missing!