JOHANNESBURG, 24/12/2025: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has said India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant apologised to him after a stump-mic clip went viral during the recent Test series in India. Bavuma also said South Africa coach Shukri Conrad should have used different words when he spoke about wanting India to “grovel.”

Bavuma wrote in an ESPNcricinfo column that the apology came from two senior Indian players after an on-field exchange in which a word in Hindi was used about him. The clip spread online and drew criticism on social media in India and South Africa.

The stump-mic moment happened during the first Test when India were weighing a DRS call. Some reports said the word used was “bauna,” a Hindi term linked to a person’s height. Bavuma did not name the exact word in his column but said the players spoke to him after the match.

Conrad faced backlash last month after he said South Africa wanted India to “grovel” during the Test series. The phrase was seen by many as loaded because of its history in cricket.

Conrad later said he could have picked a better word and that he did not mean to cause harm. Bavuma has now echoed that view, saying his coach should have chosen different words.

The comments came during a tour that South Africa won in Tests, ending a 25-year wait for a Test series win in India. South Africa then lost the ODI and T20 series.

Bavuma says Bumrah and Pant apologised to him directly after the stump-mic clip became a talking point. He also says Conrad’s remark created a distraction and could have been phrased differently.

There has been no public statement from the BCCI on the stump-mic exchange as of Dec 24. Conrad has already spoken publicly about his wording and said he regretted the choice of words.

In his column, Bavuma framed both moments as lessons in how players and staff should speak during high-pressure games, especially when mics can pick up private talk and clips can spread fast.