Temba Bavuma Addresses Jasprit Bumrah's Controversial Comment During Test Series

Temba Bavuma, the South African cricket captain, has addressed the controversial remarks made by Jasprit Bumrah during a Test match against India. Despite the uproar surrounding Bumrah's comment, Bavuma revealed that both Bumrah and Rishabh Pant apologized, and he used the incident as motivation for his performance. The series concluded with South Africa achieving a historic 2-0 victory over India, marking their first Test series win in India since 2000. Bavuma also discussed the media pressure regarding coach Shukri Conrad's comments, emphasizing the competitive nature of the series. Despite their Test success, South Africa faced challenges in the white-ball matches that followed.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 24, 2025, 22:58 IST

Bavuma Responds to Bumrah's Remarks

Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa's Test and ODI teams, has spoken out regarding a contentious comment made by Jasprit Bumrah during the first Test of their two-match series against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata last November.

The Test series was significant for South Africa, as they achieved a 2-0 victory over India, marking their first red-ball series win in India since 2000. However, the series was not without its controversies, particularly Bumrah's use of the term 'Bauna'—a Hindi word meaning 'dwarf'—directed at Bavuma during a stump microphone exchange related to an LBW appeal.

Apologies from Bumrah and Pant

Despite the lack of disciplinary action from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding Bumrah's comment, it seems the matter was amicably resolved. Bavuma shared in his ESPN Cricinfo column that both Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant approached him to apologize after the day's play.

Although Bavuma was initially unaware of the comment's implications, he chose to channel the incident as motivation for his performance, expressing no resentment towards the players involved.

"I was informed that something was said in their language about me. Ultimately, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came forward to apologize," Bavuma noted.

Bavuma's Perspective on the Incident

"When the apology was made, I was not aware of the context. I had to consult with our media manager to understand it better. What occurs on the field remains there, but the words spoken are not forgotten. I use them as motivation, but I hold no grudges," he added.

Following South Africa's victory over India, Bumrah and Bavuma were seen conversing on the field.

Historic Series Win for South Africa

Bavuma not only led his team to victory in the Kolkata Test but also in the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, where South Africa triumphed by an impressive 408 runs, securing a historic 2-0 series win over India. This achievement made Bavuma the first South African captain since Hansie Cronje in 2000 to win a Test series in India.

Controversy Surrounding Coach Shukri Conrad's Comments

In addition to Bumrah's remarks, South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad faced scrutiny for his use of the term 'grovel' to describe the dominance his team aimed to establish over India. Bavuma acknowledged that he felt pressured by the media to clarify Conrad's comments, which he admitted had an 'unsavoury' connotation.

"Shukri received criticism for his 'grovel' comment. The media pressed me for clarification, but I believed Shukri was best suited to address it," Bavuma explained.

"When I first heard it, it did have an unpleasant ring to it, but it highlighted the competitiveness of the Test series and its significance to our team. Shukri later addressed the issue after the ODI series and acknowledged he could have chosen his words more carefully, which I concur with," he concluded.

South Africa's Struggles in White-Ball Series

Despite their success in the Test series against India, South Africa struggled in the subsequent white-ball matches, with India bouncing back to win both the ODI and T20I series.