‘They both came and…’: Temba Bavuma reveals real story after ‘Bauna’ comment made by Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant during IND vs SA Test series

In a major revelation after the high-stakes cricket series between India And South AfricaProteas captain Temba Bavuma has broken his silence on the distasteful on-field comments directed at him. While the series was marked by fierce competition and emotional highs, including South Africa’s historic Test victory on Indian soil after 25 years, these off-field reconciliations have become the center of discussion.

Temba Bavuma talks about Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘Bauna’ comment

The controversy centered on an incident during the first test where microphones and lip-reading fans picked up the signal term ‘Bauna’, a Hindi word for ‘short’ or ‘dwarf’used in reference to Bavuma. Looking back on this moment, Bavuma admitted that he was initially unaware of the specific insult due to the language barrier. “For my part, I know there was an incident where they said something about me in their language.” Bavuma wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

Bavuma confirmed that senior Indian players jasprit bumrah And Rishabh pants personally reached out to apologize for using a derogatory term about his height during the opening Test match in Calcutta. He emphasized the professionalism shown afterwards and stated: “At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came to apologize.” The captain explained his reaction to the delayed realization: “When the apology was made, I didn’t know what it was about. I hadn’t heard it at the time and had to contact our media manager about it.”

Despite the personal nature of the comment, Bavuma chose to maintain a professional view of the rivalry. He emphasized that while the words were stinging, they did not lead to long-term hostility: “What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there is not necessarily any resentment.”

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In addition to the insults directed at him, Bavuma also addressed the friction caused by his own camp as coach Shukri Conrad suggested they wanted to make India ‘crawl’.’ This particular word has a heavy historical weight in the cricketing world and harkens back to this Tony Greig‘s infamous 1976 comments against the West Indies. Bavuma acknowledged the discomfort this caused: “The first time I heard about it it had an unpalatable taste, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was.”

Bavuma stood by his coach’s character but agreed the wording was a misstep in such a sensitive environment. “Shukri also faced some criticism for his ‘rude’ comment. I was pressed by the media on that side asking me to clarify the comments,” Bavuma noted. He concluded by confirming that Conrad had addressed the issue internally and publicly: “In retrospect, he said he could have chosen a better word and I agree with him.” Ultimately, Bavuma described the tour as a grueling mental challenge that left ‘scars’, yet he remains proud of his team’s resilience in winning a Test match in India, a feat that had eluded the Proteas for a quarter of a century.

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