New Delhi [India], December 24 : South Africa captain Temba Bavuma opened up on the controversial on-field remark made by Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah during the 1st India vs South Africa Test played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens last month.
During the Kolkata Test, which India won by 30 runs under Temba Bavuma's captaincy, a moment involving Jasprit Bumrah drew attention for the wrong reasons.
On Day 1, Bumrah believed he had trapped South Africa skipper Bavuma leg-before-wicket and made a loud appeal, but the on-field umpire turned it down. Unsure about the decision, Bumrah discussed the possibility of taking a DRS review with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
As the players talked, a clip of their conversation went viral on social media. During the exchange, Bumrah appeared to refer to Bavuma as "bauna" (short or dwarf), which sparked criticism and debate online.
Writing in his ESPNcricinfo column, Bavuma said there was an incident where 'something' was said about him. He added that senior Indian players Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah later apologised. Bavuma noted that he had not heard the remark at the time and only learnt about it after checking with his team's media manager.
"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."
Bavuma said that while on-field incidents are left on the field, the words spoken are not forgotten. He added that such moments serve as motivation rather than creating any lasting grudges.
"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 in his ESPNcricinfo column.
Notably, under Temba Bavuma's leadership, South Africa registered a dominant 2-0 series whitewash over India on their home soil, reinforcing their status as World Test Championship (WTC) champions.
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