'Bumrah, Pant Said Something In Their Language...': Temba Bavuma Breaks Silence On 'Bauna' Jibe

South Africa had a memorable Test tour of India last month, where they whitewashed India 2-0. Under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, the Proteas ended a 25-year wait to win in the longest format on Indian

soil before losing both ODIs and T20Is.

The Test series raised unending questions on India’s approach in the red-ball set-up. India struggled significantly to surpass even 200, achieving it just once in four innings. Apart from their performance, what became a major talking point was the remark made by Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant on the visiting captain.

It was the Kolkata Test when the Indian duo called Bavuma a dwarf, which was clearly heard over the stump mic. While batting coach Ashwell Prince and Shukri Conrad didn’t pay much heed to it while addressing the pressers, Bavuma himself wasn’t aware of the entire matter due to the language barrier. He only got to know when Bumrah and Pant apologized to him in Guwahati after South Africa’s 408-run win.

In his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Bavuma revealed that he received an apology from Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant for the offensive comment.

“I know from my side, 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 apologised,” Bavuma wrote in a column for ‘ESPNCricinfo’.

“When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about. I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it. 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 are no grudges per se,” he added.

Bavuma said he expected a tough series in India, and it is exactly what his team encountered.

“You don’t want to admit it as such, but there are scars that still kind of live there. You just hope that you don’t reopen those wounds or relive those moments. There was that from a mental point of view, but also, with past experience, you know how tough it’s going to be,” he added.

(With PTI Inputs)