South Africa are sweating over the fitness of their captain Temba Bavuma ahead of Thursday’s semi-final clash against Australia at Eden Gardens.

Bavuma had suffered a hamstring strain during the Proteas’ final game of the league phase against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Friday, which they won by five wickets. He had scored 23 off 28 balls in that game before being dismissed by off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

According to a release issued by Cricket South Africa (CSA) thereafter, Bavuma has “shown an improvement overnight” although he would continue to be monitored by the CSA medical team.

On Monday, there was some good news in the camp as Bavuma did join his Proteas teammates at their optional training session at the Eden.

He ran a couple of laps around the outfield before undergoing some fitness drills, which were carefully supervised by the team physiotherapist and the strength and conditioning coach.

He then did some shuttle runs, trying to increase the pace with each lap. At times, Bavuma did look a bit uncomfortable, but wasn’t totally uneasy while running with a strapping on his right thigh.

Later in the session, Bavuma padded up, shadow-batted and also took throwdowns from a member of the support staff with a stump, before having a lengthy conversation with head coach Rob Walter.

Thereafter, he batted at nets for almost an hour in two phases and even used his feet to hit a few balls. Later, at the end of the training session, Bavuma went to a city hospital for further scans, it was learnt.

The scan reports could be known earliest on Tuesday, but the Proteas’ medical team is optimistic about Bavuma’s quick recovery.

“Temba’s right hamstring strain has shown good objective signs of improvement over the last 72 hours,” the CSA medical team said in a statement.

“We will continuously assess his progress through the management plan over the next few days towards giving him the best chance to play on Thursday.”

The medical team also clarified that the work Bavuma put in on Monday was not for a fitness test, but “a part of the rehabilitation strategies of the recovery plan”.

At present, Bavuma is not a surety for the semi-final clash. If he does miss out, Aiden Markram is likely to lead South Africa on Thursday, as he had done against England and Bangladesh when Bavuma was unavailable due to illness.

Reeza Hendricks then may open the batting alongside Quinton de Kock, who wasn’t there in Monday’s training. Also absent was pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada.

Form-wise though, Bavuma hasn’t had a good time at all with the bat in this World Cup, tallying only 145 runs from seven innings with 35 (against Australia in Lucknow) being his highest score. For sure he would have found it tough to retain his place in the XI had he not been the captain.

The Australians, too, had a round of optional session at the Eden late in the evening. One of the features of Australia’s practice on Monday was the in-form Glenn Maxwell having a long discussion with Marnus Labuschagne and helping him to master the reverse sweep and scoop.

Maxwell, who has been in brilliant touch in this World Cup having hit an unbelievable, unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan, braving a hopeless situation, was also seen helping Labuschagne out with his head positioning for those fancy strokes.

Australia have been peaking steadily in the competition, and if Maxwell fires once again at the Eden, Pat Cummins and Co. shouldn’t be having too many reasons to worry.

In the league phase, the South Africans had simply outplayed the Australians in all departments, winning that game by 134 runs. But there’s a huge difference between that Australia and the one at present, who are on a seven-game winning run.

And in knockouts, Australia are always deadly.