WHEN South Africa lost four wickets in 11 balls, 50 runs short of the 148-run target at SuperSport Park in Centurion, dark memories of the past came rushing back to the minds of all South Africans.
Though all-rounder Marco Jansen was still out in the middle, alongside Kagiso Rabada, whom we all know is more than capable with the bat in hand, South Africa seemed doomed to yet another self-inflicted defeat.
The occasion ticked every box in which South Africa have been known to fail in the past, the match and series were on the line, and most importantly, a spot in the final of the World Test Championship was on the line.
However, as this generation showed earlier this year during the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, where they became the first Proteas men's team to move past the semi-final stage of the World Cup, they are just a different group, one that gets the job done no matter what.
Rabada and Jansen put on a 51-run stand for the ninth wicket and guided the team over the line. All the while, while the country was glued to their TV screens hoping for a miracle partnership from Rabada and Jansen, captain Temba Bavuma was "hiding" in the toilet, overwhelmed by the emotions and the pressure of the match situation.
The 30-year-old said he got the courage to watch the remainder of the run-chase when he heard Kyle Verreynne shout in excitement.
"I was in the toilet, to be honest. I was sulking. I only came out when we needed about 15 runs. I didn't know what to say to the batters, Marco and KG," Bavuma said yesterday.
"Amongst the other boys, the confidence and belief was there. I'm not really an emotional person, but I found myself to be taken aback by the emotion. I was hiding in the toilet.
"When we needed 15 runs, I could hear the guys clapping, Kyle Verreynne shouting and the way he was shouting was a positive shout, so I thought, ‘okay, let me come show my head’."
Having been through many lows with the Test team, Bavuma attempted to describe how it felt to taste an incredible victory, as he became the first test captain to lead South Africa to the final of the World Test Championship.
"It's still a bit surreal. I don't know if I'll be able to put my feelings and emotions into words," he said.
"But I think just looking at the guys in the changeroom, the families being there enjoying the moment with us, it shows us what everything means, why we do what we do not just for the country but for our families.
"It's been a tough journey for this group and though we have achieved success quite quickly in terms of the talent and the character present in the group that speaks a lot.
"For the guys who've been around a little longer, it's a lot more sentimental. It means a lot more. Seeing a guy like KG play like that there at the end. I think it's performances like that that speaks to what the team is about."
Despite the victory, Bavuma admitted that they are by no means a finished product. The 30-year-old emphasised how they have lacked ruthlessness on their way to qualifying for the WTC final.
"If you look at our campaign, as much as we're in a position where we're in a position where we're in the final, we haven't been super dominant in our performances," he said.
"We've definitely not been clinical or ruthless when the situation is called upon. But we've done is that we found ways to make sure that the result is on our side.
"If we look at our batting group, we don't boast batters that average 45 plus, all of us are mid-30s, late 30s, which shows that at some point guys are going to make some contributions to the team.
"If you look at our at the bowlers, our bowling line-up has changed almost every series and guys have come and have done the business. It's not ideal cricket that we've been playing, but we're finding a way and it speaks a lot to the talent and character within the group."