South Africa captain Temba Bavuma could achieve a 74-year first by leading his team to victory in the New Year's Test against Pakistan in Cape Town.
South Africa won the first Test of the ongoing two-match series in thrilling fashion, pulling off a two-wicket win at Centurion as Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada took their side over the line. That victory helped the Proteas seal a spot in the World Test Championship final set to be held at Lord's next June.
The victory was also Temba Bavuma's seventh as Test captain, in eight matches since he took over from Dean Elgar in February 2023 – his captaincy record now counts three wins against West Indies, two against Sri Lanka and one apiece against India and Pakistan. The one match South Africa did not win with Bavuma as captain was a rain-affected draw with West Indies earlier this year.
Temba Bavuma closes in on best Test captaincy start in 74 years
Bavuma is the joint-third quickest men's Test captain to record seven wins. Percy Chapman (England) and Warwick Armstrong (Australia) both managed to win all of their first seven in charge, while Johnny Douglas (England), Lindsay Hassett (Australia), Waqar Younis (Pakistan) and Babar Azam (Pakistan) won seven of their first eight, like Bavuma.
Also read: Ryan Rickelton achieves WTC first for South Africa with double century
A win in the second Test to seal a 2-0 series win would take Bavuma into elite company, with eight wins in his first nine games as Test captain. Only three captains have registered eight wins that quickly – Chapman and Armstrong in eight matches each, and Hassett in nine.
Hassett was the most recent player to accomplish this, in February 1951. Armstrong completed this in July 1921, and Chapman in February 1929.
If, in addition to beating Pakistan in Cape Town, Bavuma leads South Africa to victory in the WTC final, he will become only the second captain after Chapman to register nine wins in his first ten matches. No captain has ever won 10 of their first 11 matches, although Hassett and England's Ben Stokes won 10 of their first 12.
Quickest to eight Test wins as captain
| Name | Team | Matches taken | From | To |
| Warwick Armstrong | Australia | 8 | 17 December 1920 | 02 July 1921 |
| Percy Chapman | England | 8 | 14 August 1926 | 01 February 1929 |
| Lindsay Hassett | Australia | 9 | 24 December 1949 | 02 February 1951 |
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