Temba Bavuma breaks silence on Jasprit Bumrah-Rishabh Pant ‘Bauna’ controversy at Eden Gardens

South African National Cricket Team captain Temba Bavuma has finally addressed the controversial Eden Gardens episode that overshadowed an otherwise historic Test match last month. The opening Test between India and South Africa ended dramatically within three days, with the Proteas recording their first Test win in India after 14 years.

However, the first Test between India and South Africa will be remembered for the controversial episode involving Temba Bavuma, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. During the game, the stump microphone audio picked up comments from Bumrah and Pant that were widely criticized for mocking Bavuma’s height.

What did Temba Bavuma say about Eden Gardens Row?

They called the Proteas captain ‘Bauna (dwarf)’, and the comment sparked huge backlash, and later the head coach, Shukri Conrad, justified his ‘creeping’ comment about India, while quoting Pant and Bumrah’s comment about Bavuma after their historic 2-0 whitewash in Guwahati.

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Now, Temba Bavuma explained that series against India are always intense and emotions can spill over as the competition heats up. The skipper has stressed that aggression and passion are part of the game as long as basic respect between the players remains.

Temba Bavuma wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo: “A series against India will always be intense, and when it is hot it becomes even more spectacular and the players become even more motivated. As long as the respect between the players is still intact, everything is fine with whatever happens on the field.”

Temba Bavuma talks about Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah’s apology

The South African captain revealed that both Bumrah and Pant later approached him and apologised. Bavuma made it clear that the words spoken on the field are not forgotten, but neither are they carried as a grudge and there is no bad blood between them.

Bavuma further recalled, “I know from my side that there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologized. When the apology was made, I didn’t know what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time and I had to contact our media manager about it.”

The Proteas captain concluded by saying: “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation but there isn’t necessarily any grudge.”

Also read: Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s massive record in Vijay Hazare Trophy return for Delhi

Why is the 2-0 Test series win a ‘huge moment’ for South Africa?

On the other hand, Bavuma described South Africa’s 2-0 Test series win in India as a huge moment for the South African team. He emphasized how rare this feat was and pointed out that their last series win in India came way back in 2000.

South Africa’s 2-0 win in the recent Test series after more than two decades showed how far the team has come and underlined their growth as a strong Test side, Bavuma said.

Looking back, Bavuma recalled difficult memories from his previous tours of India. In 2015, South Africa lost the series 3-0, playing only in the final Test in Delhi. The 2019 tour was even tougher, with India winning all three Tests against Proteas.