South Africa’s national cricket team coach has finally shared his thoughts on the viral comments made by India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah about Proteas captain Temba Bavuma. Batting coach Ashwell Prince said the South African camp will not be holding any discussions about the disrespectful remarks inside the dressing room.
No Discussion on the Incident, Says Ashwell Prince
The first Test of the two-match series between India and South Africa began on Friday, November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. During India’s first innings, a stump-mic conversation involving Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant spread quickly across social media.
On the first ball of the 13th over, Jasprit Bumrah hit Temba Bavuma on the pads and appealed, but the umpire turned it down. Moments later, while speaking to Pant, Jasprit Bumrah referred to Bavuma as a “bauna,” meaning dwarf.
Here is how the exchange took place:
Bumrah – “Bauna bhi toh hai yeh”
Rishabh Pant – “Bauna hai, but laga yahape”
Jasprit Bumrah – “Bauna hai yeh Be******d”
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When Ashwell Prince was asked about these comments, he stated that the matter will not be discussed in the South African dressing room.
“No. There will be no discussion,” Prince said at the press conference after the end of the first day (as quoted by News18). “It’s the first time it’s come to my attention. I don’t think there’ll be any issues with what’s happened,” he added.
Prince Praises Bumrah’s Brilliant Bowling Performance
Despite the controversy, Ashwell Prince took a moment to praise Bumrah’s outstanding five-wicket haul on the opening day. Speaking about India’s bowling attack, he said Bumrah was relentless. He shared his thoughts (as quoted by RevSportz):
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“I think it was a sensational bowling display, particularly from Bumrah. Siraj, in his first spell, did not quite hit his straps, but came back in his second spell, when he changed ends and was pretty good, found his rhythm, and found his line and length.
“But Bumrah was relentless and the spinners were pretty good as well. So, I think sometimes as batters there’s not a lot you can do about them, but we got to work hard. There is a long way to go in the game and hopefully we will go big in the second innings.”
Pitch Conditions Made Batting Difficult
Prince also talked about the challenging pitch conditions at Eden Gardens. He pointed out that the inconsistent bounce made it tough for the batters to settle in. He explained:
“My assessment of the surface and I think probably after four or five deliveries in the first over where one rolled and went for four byes and then two or three balls later reared up, I think the signs were there pretty early on that the bounce is not consistent.
“Quite often what can happen is that when you expect batters to get to 20, 30, and grow in confidence, I don’t particularly believe that any of the batters grew in confidence because of the inconsistency of the bounce, and what can happen is that you don’t trust the surface as much as you should after spending an hour at the crease. And then, of course, when you face a quality bowling attack, they can more often than not get the ball in the danger area and it does too much for you, and unfortunately that’s been the case today.”
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