How South Africa's Test team became the sum of its exceptional parts

Let's start with some statistics: South Africa have won seven successive Test matches, the second-longest winning streak in their history. In this World Test Championship cycle, they've been victorious in eight out of 12 matches and since Shukri Conrad and Temba Bavuma took over as Test coach and captain respectively, they have won 10 out of 14 matches.

It doesn't matter who the opposition were, that is a mighty impressive list of numbers, especially for one player: Bavuma. He has captained South Africa nine times and not lost once. Is it time that he takes the credit for this cycle of success, which has included a clean sweep of the summer?

"No, I'd never do that," Bavuma joked afterwards. "Probably amongst the players I would, but not in the media. What I've always felt as captain, you're only as good as your bowlers, firstly, but then you're obviously as good as the rest of the team as well. And I think the bowlers individually have been superb."