South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has spoken candidly about the “unsavoury” remarks made during his team’s recent tour of India, revealing that he received apologies from Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant over an offensive on-field comment. Bavuma also acknowledged that Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad could have chosen better words after his controversial “grovel” remark during the series.
South Africa’s tour of India which included two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is was largely played in a competitive but respectful spirit. The Proteas ended a 25-year wait for a Test victory in India but went on to lose both white-ball series.
Writing in a column for ESPNCricinfo, Bavuma recalled an incident during the opening Test in Kolkata where a comment was made about him in a local language.
“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 apologized,” Bavuma wrote.
He added that he had not initially understood the comment at the time and only learned its meaning later after speaking to South Africa’s media manager. The remark — “Bauna”, referring to his short height — was directed at Bavuma during play.
“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,” he noted.
Bavuma also addressed the controversy surrounding Conrad’s “grovel” comment made during the second Test in Guwahati, which drew criticism and comparisons to Tony Greig’s infamous remarks during the 1976 series against the West Indies.
The South African skipper admitted that the comment left a bad taste initially and felt that his coach could have expressed himself differently.
“Shukri also took some heat for his ‘grovel’ remark. When I first heard it, it did have an unsavory taste, but it also reflected how intense and meaningful the Test series was for certain individuals,” Bavuma said.
Conrad later issued an apology following the ODI series, a move Bavuma welcomed. “In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word and I agree with him,” Bavuma added.
Reflecting on the tour as a whole, Bavuma said he had anticipated a mentally and physically demanding series in India, given past experiences. “You don’t want to admit it, but there are scars that still exist. You hope not to reopen those wounds, but you know how tough a tour of India is going to be,” he concluded.
(By PTI Inputs)
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