IND vs SA, 1st Test: South Africa breaks silence about 'bauna' remark at Proteas captain by Indian players

South Africa's batting coach, Ashwell Prince, downplayed the controversy surrounding the stump-mic comments made by Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. This came after a remark allegedly made by Bumrah on the last ball of the 13th over during South Africa’s innings in the opening Test at Eden Gardens on Friday (November 14). Bumrah’s comment, “bauna bhi hai,” was picked up by the stump mic following a leg-before appeal against Proteas captain Temba Bavuma. The comment was widely interpreted as a taunt aimed at Bavuma’s height.

Prince, however, dismissed any significance of the incident during his media interaction after the first day's play, saying that the team would not be discussing the matter. "I’ve just heard about it now, but it won’t be an issue. There’s nothing to discuss regarding what happened out there,” he was quoted as saying.

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Bavuma, who had been sidelined with a calf strain and was making his return as captain, had a brief and forgettable innings. He was dismissed cheaply for just 3 runs off 11 balls by Kuldeep Yadav, caught in a leg-slip trap. The incident in question occurred when Bumrah bowled a good-length delivery that struck Bavuma on the thigh pad. Bumrah made a strong appeal for LBW, but the umpire turned it down. Pant, who thought the ball might have gone over the stumps, supported the decision, and replays confirmed the ball would have missed the stumps.

The term "bauna," which is often used to refer to individuals with dwarfism, can be considered offensive if used to describe someone simply short in stature. Despite this, South Africa’s team has decided not to file any formal complaint.