A moment during the second day/night match between South Africa and Australia sparked discussion not only about the DRS system but also about past conflicts. During the game, a sharp exchange occurred between Quinton de Kock and captain Temba Bavuma regarding the use of DRS, which was captured by cameras.
The situation arose in the 47th over against Australian batsman Javiere Bartlett. Lizard Williams bowled a magnificent yorker down the middle line, and leg stumped. Bartlett was unable to hit the ball, and it struck his pads. South Africa appealed for LBW, but the umpire initially ruled that it was not out.
Following this, the tension on the field around the review intensified. De Kock insisted that Bavuma listen to him immediately because the DRS timer was running out quickly. It is speculated that De Kock recalled a previous incident where his advice was ignored, and South Africa lost the right to review. This time, he demanded the captain make a decision faster.
Bavuma also tried to explain his point of view to De Kock. He noted that the bowler, Lizard Williams, was quite confident about the need for a review, as he believed the ball hit the stumps. Ultimately, Bavuma decided to use the review.
During the ultra-slow motion analysis, no signs of contact between the ball and the bat were found. However, ball tracking showed that it hit the left stump. Thus, the field umpire's decision that he was not out was overturned, and Bartlett was given out LBW.
Bartlett scored 50 runs in just 28 balls, including 2 fours and 5 sixes. At the end of the match, South Africa won by 32 runs, increasing their series lead to 2-0.
The dialogue between De Kock and Bavuma attracted public attention also because a very well-known incident occurred between them in 2021. Before the T20 Cup match in 2021 against West Indies, Cricket South Africa instructed players to kneel in solidarity against racism, known as 'taking the knee.'
De Kock refused to participate in this action and isolated himself from the match. At the time, Bavuma was the team captain and stated that the team was surprised by this decision, although he expressed respect for De Kock's choice and personal beliefs. Later, De Kock apologized and agreed to kneel with the team, while also reaffirming his commitment to fighting racism. It is precisely because of this old event that any sharp remarks between Bavuma and De Kock on the field are instantly linked in social media to that past dispute.
Currently, the most interesting aspect of this situation is that Bavuma accepted the review at De Kock's insistence, and the decision against Bartlett turned out to be in favor of South Africa.