Two years ago, when Temba Bavuma last attended a pre-match news conference at Eden Gardens, he was up against a pretty tough situation.

On the eve of that 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Australia, Bavuma even had his place in the side questioned due to poor form.

The picture this November is in stark contrast to what it was in 2023. The leader of the current world Test champions, Bavuma, is not just a vital cog in the South African batting line-up, but is captain of a unit that appears well-armed to beat India in India for the first time since Hansie Cronje’s side did it in early 2000.

Questions are still raised about his fitness, but what matters for Bavuma is that he’s comfortable in his own skin. “I think I’m a lot more comfortable now in my own skin. There’s no case of having to prove to myself, prove to the players, or prove to people back home that I’m deserving of the (World Test Championship) title. I think the results that we’ve achieved speak for themselves.

“I think the reaction I get from the players also speaks for itself. Criticism is not going to go away, for as long as you’re in these types of positions, the magnifying glass is always going to be on you,” Bavuma said on Thursday, the eve of the series opener against India at Eden Gardens.

“So I’m probably taking it a little bit more day by day and trying to enjoy it as well, which I think is probably the bigger one.”

Nothing can trump the Test Championship crown for the Proteas. But a series win in India will certainly be their next best achievement.

“I wouldn’t say it’s something that has eluded us, but we haven’t been able to do that for the longest time. And over the next two weeks, that’s what we’ll be pushing towards. We understand the magnitude of the challenge,” Bavuma acknowledged.