Pant and Bumrah apologised after passing faux pas in their language, reveals Bavuma

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has revealed that India duo of Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah apologised to him after making remarks in their own language during the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Bavuma, who captained South Africa to 2-0 Test series win over India, noted that while such words are not easily forgotten, he harbours no ill will.

A stump mic incident during day one’s play caught Bumrah and Pant referring to Bavuma as ‘bauna’ while appealing for an lbw off him in the 14th over.

The term is generally used for people suffering from dwarfism, but can be deemed offensive when directed at individuals of short stature.

“A series against India is always going to be intense, and when it’s heated, it makes it even more of a spectacle and motivates the players further.

“As long as the respect is still intact between players, it’s all good with whatever happens on the field. 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.

“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,” Bavuma was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday.

He also acknowledged that head coach Shukri Conrad could have used a better word instead of ‘grovel’ during the second Test in Guwahati.

“Shukri also took some heat for his “grovel” remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made.

“I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all. The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavoury taste to it, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group. Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed.

In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word and I agree with him,” added Bavuma.

Before Bavuma & Co, South Africa last won a Test series in India under Hansie Cronje’s leadership in 2000. Bavuma explained how he and Conrad made plans for months to ensure South Africa, the current World Test Championship holders, emerged victorious on their Test trip to India after previous failures in 2015 and 2019.

“In terms of coach Shukri getting the best out of us as players, that groundwork has been in play since we started. Shuks instils confidence in the players and makes them believe that they are the best. The premise is that if we play at our best, no one can stand near us.

“We have always wanted to prepare ourselves for these types of encounters. Between the two of us, there were months on end speaking about India.

“What type of team and players did we want? And what did we need to do to be successful? It wasn’t a case of getting to India and saying, ‘Okay, how are we going to do things?’

““The seed was planted long before the Test series. The fact that we did it two and a half decades later speaks to the magnitude of our performance and overall achievement. It’s another feather in our cap as a side, and we’re growing very well as a Test team,” he concluded.

Agencies