South Africa national cricket team captain Temba Bavuma has finally addressed the controversial Eden Gardens episode that overshadowed an otherwise historic Test match last month. The opening Test between India and South Africa ended quickly and dramatically over the course of three days, with the Proteas achieving their first Test win in India after 14 years.
However, the first Test between India and South Africa will be remembered for the controversial episode involving Temba Bavuma, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. During the game, the stump mic audio carried comments from Bumrah and Pant, who were widely criticized for mocking Bavuma’s height.
What did Temba Bavuma say about the Garden of Eden controversy?
He called the Proteas captain a “dwarf (dwarf)” and that comment sparked a massive backlash and later head coach Shukri Conrad justified his “severe” comments on India by citing Pant and Bumrah’s comments on Bavuma after the historic 2-0 whitewash in Guwahati.
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Now, Temba Bavuma points out that a series against India is always intense, and emotions can run high when the contest heats up. The captain has stressed that aggression and passion are part of the competition, as long as basic respect remains between the players.
Temba Bavuma wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo: “A series against India is always going to be intense, and when it gets heated, it makes it even more of a spectacle and motivates the players more. As long as there is respect between the players, whatever happens on the field is all good.”
Temba Bavuma opens up about Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah’s apology
The South African captain revealed that both Bumrah and Pant later contacted him and apologised. Bavuma clarified that words spoken on the field are not forgotten, but they are also not taken as complaints and there is no bad blood between them.
Bavuma further recalled, “I know from my side that there was an incident where he said something about me in his own language. At the end of the day two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised. When the apology came, I was in the dark as to what it was about; I had not heard it at that time, and I needed to check with our media manager about it.”
The Proteas captain signed off by saying, “What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what’s been said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no complaints.”
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Why is 2-0 Test series win a “big moment” for South Africa?
On the other hand, Bavuma described South Africa’s 2-0 Test series win in India as a big moment for the South African team. He highlighted how rare this achievement was, pointing out that their last series win in India was in 2000.
Bavuma said South Africa’s 2-0 win in the recent Test series after more than two decades showed how far the team has come and underlined their development as a strong Test side.
Looking back, Bavuma remembered difficult memories of his first visits to India. In 2015, South Africa lost the series 3–0, and he only featured in the final Test in Delhi. The 2019 tour was even more difficult, with India winning all three Tests against the Proteas team.