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South Africa ODI and Test skipper Temba Bavuma opened up on the recently concluded tour of India, addressing the controversies that happened during the Test series.
Bavuma, in his article on Cricinfo, wrote about the incidents that happened during the series and their memorable 2-0 triumph, marking their first Test series win in India since 2000.
However, the tour was marred by some controversies, starting from the series opener when India players Jasprit Bumrah and the wicket-keeper were caught on stump mic calling Bavuma a ‘dwarf’.
Both players’ chat went viral as they called Bavuma ‘Bauna’ (Dwarf), a term referring to a person of short height.
“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,” he said.
“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, the skipper revealed.
Bavuma said that he held grudges and shed light on the ‘Grovel’ remark that stirred controversy during the tour.
“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 continued
“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.
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,” he said.
The 35-year-old talked about the head coach putting the issue to rest while admitting that he could have used a better phrase to share his thoughts.
“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 concluded.
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