South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad found the best phrase in the world to describe Temba Bavuma after humbling India by 30 runs to win the first Test at the Eden Gardens on November 16. After South Africa's stunning win, Shukri was asked to react on Jasprit Bumrah's 'bauna' remark for Bavuma on Day 1. The incident unfolded on the last ball of the 13th over, shortly after Bumrah had dismissed Aiden Markram and was brimming with confidence.
South Africa head coach replies to Bumrah's 'bauna' remark for Bavuma
During the exchange, Bumrah struck Bavuma's pads, prompting a vehement protest from the South African captain, which the umpire rejected. The pacer then consulted with wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant about seeking a Decision Review System (DRS) referral. Bumrah referred to Bavuma as 'Bauna' and asked if he should proceed with the review. Pant, however, convinced him against it, arguing that despite the Proteas captain's height, the ball appeared to be passing over the leg stump. Pant's judgment was validated when the Hawkeye technology confirmed that the ball was indeed passing over the stumps by a narrow margin. However, Bavuma's time at the crease was short-lived, as he was soon dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav for just three runs off 11 balls.
He has got a heart like a giant: Shukri Conrad
Despite this early difficulty, Bavuma proved to be the match-winning player for his team, delivering a tough and crucial 55 runs off 136 deliveries in the second innings to give the visitors a vital advantage. India ultimately failed to chase the target of 124, being bowled out for only 93. Reflecting on the Bauna incident and the match victory, South Africa's head coach offered a humorous remark, stating that the captain of South Africa possesses a 'heart like a giant'.
“Thankfully, he has got a heart like a giant,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference.
Meanwhile, Bavuma credited the team's 30-run win over India to the crucial partnerships formed by the lower-order batters, specifically mentioning Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen. Bavuma's own crucial half-century was supported by these partnerships, including a key 44-run stand with Bosch that followed a brief, but important, 16-run partnership with Jansen.
“Very exciting. You want to be a part of those types of games and obviously be on the right side of the result. I think we tried to hold our ground as much as we could. We knew it was going to be tough with the bat; it was tough for us, but we needed to exploit what was there. I think we guys did that beautifully. Fortunately, things have worked out quite well. Our bowlers got us back into the game, but that partnership with Bosch, and I think a little bit with Marco as well, at the end of the day, just gave a little bit of impetus that we could play a little bit better this morning. It wasn’t as extreme, but we were able to get a partnership,” Bavuma said after the match.