South Africa captain Temba Bavuma revealed that Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant apologised for controversial stump-mic comments made during the first Test.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has addressed the controversial on-field remarks made by Indian players Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant during the first Test in Kolkata.
Bavuma revealed that the two senior players later apologised for a comment caught on the stump microphone, which many perceived as a derogatory term referencing his stature. The incident occurred during a DRS discussion, but Bavuma only became aware of it after being informed by his team’s media manager.
Writing in his ESPNcricinfo column, Bavuma provided his perspective on the event and the subsequent apology. “I know from my side there was an incident where they said something in their language about me,” Bavuma wrote. “At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised.”
Bavuma admitted the apology initially puzzled him. “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.”
While accepting the competitive nature of Test cricket, Bavuma emphasized that such words are not forgotten. “What happens on the field, stays on the field but you don’t forget what is said,” he noted. “You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se.”
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He contextualized the episode within the intense rivalry, stating, “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.” His comments follow South Africa’s historic 2-0 series victory over India, their first such away triumph since 2000.
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