SA skipper Bavuma REVEALS Two Senior Indian Players Apologized for 'Bauna' Remark in Kolkata Test

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma revealed that Jasprit Bumrah’s controversial ‘bauna’ remark was followed by apologies from Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Bavuma used the incident as motivation, leading his team to a historic 2-0 Test series win in India.

South Africa Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma broke his silence over a controversial remark by Jasprit Bumrah during the first Test of the two-match Test series against Team India at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata in November.

South Africa had a memorable Test series as they whitewashed Team India 2-0 to clinch their first red-ball series win on Indian soil since 2000. However, the Test series was also marked by controversies, especially Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘Bauna’ remark against Temba Bavuma during the Kolkata Test. The Indian pacer mocked his height by using the Hindi word “bauna” (meaning dwarf) during a stump‑mic discussion about an LBW appeal.

Bumrah’s controversial remark became a hot topic of debate during the first Test in Kolkata, as it sparked widespread discussion online, with fans and pundits questioning the appropriateness of the language used against Bavuma, drawing criticism for their on-field conduct.

‘Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah Came and Apologised’

Jasprit Bumrah was not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his controversial remark on Temba Bavuma, but it appeared to have resolved the issue between the two. In his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Bavuma revealed that Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant came and apologized for the remark after the day’s play.

Though the SA Test skipper was unaware of the language used by Bumrah, Bavuma stated he used the incident as motivation, turning the remark into fuel for his performance while holding no grudges against the players.

“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,” Temba Bavuma wrote.

“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.

Temba Bavuma not only led South Africa to the Kolkata Test win, but also guided his team in the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, where the Proteas defeated Team India by a mammoth margin of 408 runs and secured a historic 2-0 series win over India. With this, Bavuma became the first South African captain since Harsie Cronje in 2000 to win a Test series on Indian soil.

Bavuma on Shukri Conrad’s ‘Grovel’ Remark on India

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah’s controversy, South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad also sparked the controversy by using the term ‘grovel’ on Team India to define the kind of dominance his team wanted to exert. Bavuma revealed that he was under pressure from the media to issue a clarification over Conrad’s remark, which he admitted had an ‘unsavoury’ taste to the meaning.

"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," Temba Bavuma wrote in his ESPN Cricinfo Column

"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," he added.

After the Test series win over Team India, South Africa failed to win the white-ball series during the tour, as the Men in Blue bounced back in the limited-overs matches, claiming the ODI and T20I series against South Africa.