A significant exposure after high stakes among cricket series India and South AfricaProteas captain Temba Bavuma broke his silence about the unpleasant comments addressed to him in the square. While the series was marked by intense competition and emotional highs, including South Africa’s historic Test win on Indian soil after 25 years, off-field reconciliations have become the focus of discussion.
Temba Bavuma, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah speak ‘Bauna’
The controversy was over an incident during the first Test of microphones and lip-singing fans. The term “Bauna” is the Indian word for “short” or “dwarf”.Used to refer to Bavuma. Reflecting on the moment, Bavuma admitted that he was initially unaware of the specific insult due to the language barrier. “For my part, I know that there was an incident where they said something about me in their own language.” Bavuma wrote in a column for ESPNCricinfo.
Bavuma confirmed the presence of top class Indian players jasprit bumrah and Rishabh pants He made a personal apology to apologize for using a derogatory remark about his height during the opening test match in Kolkata. He further emphasized the professionalism shown, “At the end of the day, two big players Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah came and apologized.” The captain explained his attitude to the delay in implementation as follows: “When I apologized, I was in the dark about 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 note, Bavuma chose to maintain a professional view of the competition. He emphasized that these words, although disgusting, did not cause long-term enmity: “What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what was said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there’s no grudge.”\
Apart from the insults directed at him, Bavuma also touched on the friction caused by the coach’s own camp. Shukri Conrad suggested that they wanted to make India ‘red’.’ This particular word carries heavy historical weight in cricket, going way back Tony Greig‘s infamous statements against the West Indies in 1976. Bavuma acknowledged the anxiety this caused: “When I first heard about it, it had a bad taste, but I think it reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series is.”
Bavuma stood by his coach’s character but agreed that the statement was a misstep in such a sensitive environment. “Shukri also got a little heated because of the “scary” expression. The media on that side put pressure on me and asked me to clarify my comments.” Bavuma noted. He concluded by affirming that Conrad had addressed this matter internally and publicly: “In hindsight, he said he could have chosen better words, and I agree with him.” Ultimately, Bavuma described the tour as a grueling mental challenge that left “scars” but he is proud of his team’s resilience in winning a Test match in India, a feat that has eluded the Proteas for a quarter of a century.
