‘They both came and…’: Temba Bavuma reveals the real story after ‘Bauna’ remark made by Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant during IND vs SA Test series
In a major revelation following the high-stakes cricket series between India And South AfricaCaptain Proteas Temba Bavuma broke his silence in the face of the unsavory comments made to him on the ground. While the series was marked by intense competition and strong emotions, including South Africa’s historic Test victory on Indian soil after 25 years, these off-field reconciliations became the focus of discussion.
Temba Bavuma recounts Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘Bauna’ remark
The controversy centered on an incident during the first test in which lip-reading microphones and fans picked up the term “Bauna”, a Hindi word meaning “small” or “dwarf”used in reference to Bavuma. Reflecting on that moment, Bavuma admitted that he was not initially oblivious to the specific insult due to the language barrier. “I know that on my part there was an incident where they spoke about me in their language,” Bavuma wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
Bavuma confirmed that senior Indian players Jasprit Bumrah And Rishabh pants has personally reached out to apologize for using a derogatory term regarding his height during the opening Test match in Kolkata. He highlighted the professionalism demonstrated afterwards, stating: “At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologized.” The captain explained his reaction to this late realization: “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 speak to our media manager about it.”
Despite the personal nature of this remark, Bavuma chose to maintain a professional view of the rivalry. He emphasized that while these words were scathing, they did not cause long-term animosity: “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch but you don’t forget what’s said. You use it as fuel and as motivation, but there’s no hard feelings per se.”
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Beyond the insults addressed to him, Bavuma spoke of the friction caused by his own camp when the coach Shukri Conrad suggested they wanted to make India ‘crawl’.’ This specific word has significant historical weight in cricket, recalling Tony Greigthe famous 1976 remarks against the West Indies. Bavuma acknowledged the discomfort this caused: “When I first heard about it, it had a rather unsavory taste, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was.”
Bavuma supported his coach’s character but acknowledged the wording was a misstep in such a sensitive environment. “Shukri was also criticized for his ‘rampant’ remark. I was put under pressure by the media from that side, asking me to clarify the comments,” Bavuma noted. He concluded by confirming that Conrad had addressed the issue internally and publicly: “Looking back, 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”, but 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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