South Africa’s Test captain, Temba Bavuma, under whom the Proteas won their maiden red-ball series in India, feels that the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, would be under tremendous pressure to handle the transition of the red-ball side. Bavuma steered the 2-0 Test series win over the blue brigade in November and reflected on how India remained a dominant ODI side. 

After losing the Test series, India returned in full force to win both the ODI and T20I series, where Bavuma pointed out the spark that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two veterans of the game, brought to the 50-over format. At the same time, the same thing happened under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, along with the all-rounder Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

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“You saw how India performed in the ODI space with their two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, versus in the Test game, where those two weren’t available for selection. When it comes to the red-ball stuff, India is definitely a team in transition.” Bavuma wrote in his ESPNcricinfo column.

Temba Bavuma reflects on Gautam Gambhir's Test future in coaching

Bavuma remarked that Gambhir and his boys will need to find a way to get back to the best of Tests under the leadership of Shubman Gill. He felt that having Kohli and Rohit in the side on the road to the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia would take pressure off Gambhir.

“India coach Gautam Gambhir has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, and I think he is going to have to take it as it comes. He is going to have to find a way to buy himself time in the red-ball game, and I’m of the view that the performances in white-ball cricket may assist him.” Bavuma penned down.

“In ODIs, Kohli and Rohit will naturally take on a lot more responsibility from a performance and leadership point of view. So I think Gambhir will be okay in terms of his position. However, from a red-ball point of view, it’s going to be tough for this Indian team in the near future.” He added.

The South Africa Test captain, Temba Bavuma, who scripted history by winning the away two-match Test series against India by a margin of 0-2 with victories in Kolkata and Guwahati, broke the silence on the incident which involved the ‘Bauna’ remark from the opposition pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, and wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant.

It happened during the opening clash at the Eden Gardens, where, midway through a review discussion for a leg before the stumps call on Bavuma, both Jasprit Bumrah and Pant referred to the SA captain as a dwarf, with the stump microphone picking it up before the matter got escalated on social media. 

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“I know from my side, there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised. When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it.” Bavuma expressed during an interaction on ESPNcricinfo.

Temba Bavuma breaks silence of Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘Bauna’ remark

Bavuma revealed that he didn’t hear what Bumrah and Pant discussed during the review. But he understood that something had been murmured before the media manager highlighted the point and had to check up. The right-handed person would be better off letting the matter go.

“Shukri also took some heat for his 'grovel' remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made. I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all. The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavory taste to it.” Bavuma noted in that same interview.

“I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group. Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word, and I agree with him.” The former SA captain concluded.

India, having won the toss after more than two years in ODI cricket, decided to bowl first during the third ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. They drew the first blood in the opening over after Ryan Rickelton got the outside edge into the hands of the wicket-keeper. 

But since then, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock recovered the innings pretty well with the second wicket stand of 113 runs. The latter kept nailing the spinners and the pacers around the park to get full advantage and shoulder them ahead in the contest. It was also the second-highest second-wicket ODI stand against India in India.

Also Read: Watch: KL Rahul’s left-hand trick wins toss during IND vs SA 3rd ODI to end streak of 21 matches

But Ravindra Jadeja was able to break the stand on the last delivery of the 21st delivery. The left-arm spinner slowed it up and dangled it outside the off-stump. Bavuma, who was struggling for 48 runs in 67 balls, had his eyes lit up as he went for a huge drive to slice the ball into the hands of Virat Kohli at backward point.

Virat Kohli’s celebrates after Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Temba Bavuma

Just after grabbing the catch, Kohli stared at Bavum before taking the entire team in a huddle to get their momentum back into the game. The Test captain of the Rainbow Nation returned to the hut for 48 runs with the help of five boundaries as the Proteas reached 114/2 in 21 overs.

Watch the video here;

And that's the breakthrough India were looking for... 🙌🏻#RavindraJadeja strikes to get #TembaBavuma caught by #ViratKohli! 👏🏻#INDvSA 3rd ODI, LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/Es5XpUmR5v pic.twitter.com/n5fWutNUNK

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 6, 2025

However, de Kock was in a fierce mood from the other end. The left-handed batter fast-tracked himself to 84 runs in just 69 deliveries at a strike rate of 121.74, shouldering on seven boundaries and five over boundaries. Meanwhile, India used various tactics.

The hosts brought Tilak Verma into the playing eleven at the expense of Washington Sundar, who had a light workload in the first two games. The Proteas brought Rickelton and Ottneil Baartman into their playing eleven to replace the two injured players.

South Africa created history by defeating India 2–0 in the recently concluded Test series, producing dominant performances in Kolkata and Guwahati. With this clean sweep, the Proteas became only the third visiting team ever to whitewash India in a home Test series, a feat that instantly elevated the stature of captain Temba Bavuma.

The series win triggered massive praise across the cricketing world, but one of the most significant endorsements came from South African legend AB de Villiers. Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers admitted he was initially unsure when Bavuma was appointed Test captain during a turbulent phase in South African cricket. However, he now believes Bavuma has exceeded every expectation.

De Villiers reflected on Bavuma’s leadership journey, recalling the period when critics questioned whether his soft-spoken manner and smaller physical frame would hold up in high-pressure situations. “Maybe it comes back to that old phrase, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’,” he said. Drawing a contrast with Graeme Smith’s imposing aura, De Villiers noted that Bavuma has carved out his own brand of leadership through composure, clarity, and tactical maturity.

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De Villiers says Bavuma’s calm leadership mirrors MS Dhoni’s iconic captaincy style

What stood out even more was De Villiers comparing Bavuma to the legendary MS Dhoni, a captain revered worldwide for his calm temperament. “Temba is very, very small. He’s a soft-spoken guy and hardly ever raises his voice,” De Villiers said. “It’s similar for MS Dhoni. He hardly ever spoke loudly, but when he did, people listened. Different captaincy styles can still be very successful.”

Bavuma’s record certainly backs the praise. He has won 11 of the 12 Tests he has captained and remains unbeaten in the role. Earlier this year, he also guided South Africa to their first-ever ICC title, lifting the World Test Championship trophy after defeating Australia at Lord’s.

His composed batting effort in the first Test in India, played under immense pressure on a tricky pitch, further strengthened his growing legacy. With a historic series win and an ICC title already under his belt, Bavuma’s rise as a transformative Test leader shows no signs of slowing down.

On a day when South Africa earned a massive success by winning their second Test series in India, post the 408-run defeat at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati along with their previous win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the headline was regarding the statement of ‘grovel’ by the Protea head coach, Shukri Conrad, despite knowing the emotional connection of the word.

Temba Bavuma, in the post-match press conference, doused the flames by remarking that Conrad is around 60 years old. He also shed light on a few staff being told in that same aspect from the other players- perhaps indicating the ‘Bauna’ word coming from Jasprit Bumrah in Kolkata.

See Also: "Up to BCCI..."- Gautam Gambhir reacts to his future as India's head coach post 0-2 series defeat against South Africa

“Comments made by the coach came to me this morning. I was focused on the game and didn't have a chance to speak to him. Shukri is close to 60 years old, and he will have a look at his comments. But in this series, certain guys have also crossed the line. Not saying coach crossed the line, but he will surely think about it.” Bavuma said in the presser.

Temba Bavuma douses flames on Shukri Conrad’s ‘grovel’ comment during IND vs SA 2nd Test

India could bat only a couple of sessions in the fourth innings of the second Guwahati Test and fell short of the target by 408 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja being the only star performer of the game, celebrating a fine half-century.

“We wanted India to spend as much time on their feet out in the field. We wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out of the game, and then say to them, well, come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening. There were a few factors. We obviously were looking at how best we are going to use the new ball, so that in the morning, we still get a newish, hard ball.” Conrad addressed the presser.

“There were a few factors. We obviously were looking at how best we are going to use the new ball, so that in the morning, we still get a newish, hard ball. We felt that when the shadows come across the pitch in the evening.” The Protea head coach expressed.

Ravindra Jadeja offered India a much-needed breakthrough in the form of South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma. Bavuma was going for another Test half-century when Jadeja clinched his wicket. With perfect technique and execution, Yashasvi Jaiswal took a brilliant catch. 

The opening pair of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton gave South Africa a solid start in the second Test match at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Markram and Rickelton scored 38 and 35 runs, respectively. When South Africa was at 82 runs, they lost both of their openers. 

After losing the openers, Tristan Stubbs and Temba Bavuma started to drive the innings with precision. From 82/2, South Africa easily edged past the 150-run mark with Stubbs and Bavuma in the middle. Bavuma was the hero in the 1st match of the 2-match Test series as he completed a half-century on the rank turner at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In Guwahati, he was looking confident to play another big innings. 

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Ravindra Jadeja took the important wicket of SA captain Temba Bavuma:

The South Africa captain headed back to the dugout after scoring 41 runs off 92 balls with five boundaries. Jadeja got the wicket against the run of play when the batters were controlling the motion of the innings.

Kuldeep Yadav 🤝 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja breaks the partnership of Bavuma & Stubbs.

Good catch by Jaiswal & Rahul. pic.twitter.com/KGDrlUmWgf

— VIKAS (@Vikas662005) November 22, 2025

For the second ball of the 57th over, the experienced Indian all-rounder pitched a full-length, tossed-up, outside-off delivery to Bavuma. Bavuma, who mostly maintains his cool while batting, tried to smash the ball hard. He got the connection but not the elevation. Yashasvi Jaiswal, standing at mid-off, dove forward and grabbed the ball cleanly. Temba Bavuma had to go; Ravindra Jadeja got his first of the match. 

South Africa have been dealt a major blow ahead of the second Test against India, with pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada officially ruled out of the contest in Guwahati. The match, which begins on November 22 at the Barsapara Stadium, marks the venue’s debut in the Test arena and comes with the series intriguingly poised after the Proteas’ strong win in Kolkata.

Rabada had already missed the opening Test due to a rib injury sustained during a training session. While South Africa managed to clinch victory without him, his absence remains significant given his experience and strike power in challenging conditions. He also skipped South Africa’s practice session on Thursday, raising early concerns around his fitness.

Captain Temba Bavuma put an end to any speculation during the pre-match press conference, confirming that Rabada would play no further role in the ongoing tour. “Kagiso has been ruled out of the second Test,” Bavuma said, citing the medical team’s decision to avoid any unnecessary risk with the fast bowler’s recovery. “He will continue the initial phase of his rehabilitation before returning home.”

Bavuma weighs spin-friendly pitch tactics as Rabada heads home injured

Cricket South Africa issued a statement explaining that Rabada will undergo a four-week recovery program while being monitored by the Proteas medical staff. He will travel back to South Africa after the conclusion of the second Test.

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With the teams heading to a completely new Test venue, Bavuma also shared insights about the surface in Guwahati. He noted that it carries typical subcontinental characteristics, where batting conditions should be at their best in the early stages before spinners begin to dominate. “This wicket looks a lot fresher and will be more consistent in terms of variability compared to Kolkata,” he said. “We’ll take another look in the morning before finalizing his replacement.”

As South Africa prepare to adjust their bowling combination once again, India will be eager to bounce back after a disappointing opening Test. The untested nature of the Barsapara pitch and the stakes of the series add further intrigue to what promises to be a compelling and historic contest.

The South Africans pulled off a stunning 30-run win over India in a low-scoring thriller at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Chasing a modest target of 124 runs, India witnessed a dramatic batting collapse and were bowled out for just 93 on the third day. This was also South Africa's first Test triumph on Indian soil in 15 years.

But the match kept on being closely fought from the very beginning as momentum kept shifting. South Africa, after winning the toss, batted first but were bowled out for 159. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah came up with an excellent spell of 5/27 to give the hosts early control in the game. India replied with 189 in the first innings, managing to take a slender 30-run lead, with KL Rahul's composed 39 the highest score. Offspinner Simon Harmer was the standout performer for South Africa with 4/30.

Temba Bavuma played an unbeaten captain's knock of 55 to ensure stiff resistance for South Africa in the third innings. Eventually, the visitors got bowled out for 153, setting India a target of 124. However, India’s chase fell apart quickly as wickets tumbled one after another, struggling against the accuracy and turn produced by the South African spinners, especially Harmer, who picked four more wickets for just 21 runs.

Simon Harmer’s 8 wickets in the match helped South Africa win the game

The win for South Africa showed their fightback, having lost the first innings by 30 runs before they chased down a small target. Simon Harmer was the star of the match, ending with superb match figures of 8 wickets and taking apart India's batting in both innings. Adding to the woes, Indian skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt to a neck injury while batting in the first innings, which meant they were one batter short in the second innings. 

See Also: IND vs SA: BCCI's latest update on Shubman Gill’s neck injury after hospitalisation in Kolkata test

Washington Sundar showed some fight with a 31-run knock. For South Africa, Bavuma was the only one to bat well in the second innings to help get their team over 100. While Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets on Day 2, Kuldeep Yadav also took a couple of important wickets. but India couldn’t handle the pressure as South Africa completed a memorable win inside three days and now leads the series 1-0.

Fans reacted to India’s 30-run loss in the Kolkata Test by sharing funny memes on X (Twitter). Here are some of the best memes:

From sledging to hugging on your defeat 💀👀

#SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/GdzUWj28Ks

— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) November 16, 2025

ICT fans after seeing the team is losing even the easy matches now.#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/EbHor82iI3

— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) November 16, 2025

South Africa beat India by 30 runs to go 1-0 up in the series

Erippuk @GautamGambhir#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/zbBQozqJhr

— 𝓜𝓲𝓬𝓱𝓪𝑒𝓵  (@Rolex8170) November 16, 2025

GG era 🥲After 15 years we lost to SA in India and not able to chase the low target 😭

#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/Uwp8MkZLco

— V I P E R (@VIPERoffl) November 16, 2025

- Lost NZ series and put all the blame on Rohit Sharma
- Lost Sl series
- Lost BGT
- Lost ODI Series vs Aus
- Played politics with Rohit and virat and silently diverted all the hate towards gill &
- Today after 15 years SA won a match lm indian soil

Ruined my beautiful ICT 💔. pic.twitter.com/HDx3wy6zbb

— Roesque (@LVR_HYPER09) November 16, 2025

Temba Bavuma after beating India :#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/X3SSxHgUvN

— 🅰️ J (@EHuman0) November 16, 2025

south africa didn't beat india - karma did. pic.twitter.com/ROns4F1ANW

— desi sigma (@desisigma) November 16, 2025

What will be your next excuse for this never ending defeat series 🧐😒

#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/ZZ7RuGVQ5E

— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) November 16, 2025

Bavuma gets the final laugh

What a game, and what a captain’s knock.

Give the man his due

South Africa won test in india after 15 years #INDvSA #INDvsSApic.twitter.com/Yfj8VXH2eG

— Ash (@Ashsay_) November 16, 2025

They trolled him for his height
Action speaks Louder than Words🔥.

Team India failed to chase 123 against South Africa! 🤯🥶

#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/PU6RXkGgCH

— ALii ツ (@ALii__313) November 16, 2025

A moment of conversation between Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant caught on the stump mic took no time to go viral on social media platforms. They were discussing whether to take a DRS call against South Africa (IND vs SA 1st Test) skipper Temba Bavuma, who went to bat at the Eden Gardens after the dismissal of one of their openers, Ryan Rickelton. 

During the conversation between Team India players, Bumrah spoke about the height of Bavuma. "Bauna bhi toh hae ye (he is a dwarf)," Bumrah was heard saying. In reply, Pant pointed out where the ball actually hit. "Bauna hae but laga ya pe hae (he is a dwarf, but the ball hit him here),"

Pant said. The comments made by Bumrah and Pant can offend some viewers, as it is not clear why Bumrah and Pant used the word "Bauna (Dwarf)" for the opposition team captain—it can be used to mock his height or to highlight the height factor in the context of a possible LBW dismissal.

Read More: WATCH: Kuldeep Yadav dismisses Wiaan Mulder on 24 during IND vs SA 1st Test in Kolkata

Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant called Temba Bavuma "Bauna"

In the end, Team India did not opt to take a DRS call, and that proved to be the right decision, as the review on the screen later showed that Bavuma was clearly not out. After winning the toss, South Africa chose to bat first. They started well with their openers, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram. Before the dismissal of Rickelton, SA put 57 runs on their opening stand.

After a few initial overs of Day 1, Bumrah took off by clean bowling Rickelton (23). The pacer eventually took the wickets of Markram (31) and Tony de Zorzi (24). South Africa went into lunch on 105/3 and in the second session lost half their side for 120 when Bumrah removed Zorzi. The other two wickets were taken by the spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Yadav removed Bavuma (3) and Wiaan Mulder (24) from the track. 

Bauna bhi to hai ye behenchod*d😭 pic.twitter.com/sLCqRZpoKM

— 60_cent (@60cent1245) November 14, 2025

Playing XIs:

IND XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

SA XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (w), Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj.

India started the second session of the opening Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata with Kuldeep Yadav being introduced into the attack. It was an excellent over from the left-arm wrist spinner, who, with various lines and lengths, questioned the right-arm batter on the front foot and back foot.

Tony de Zorzi got an outside edge as the ball died immediately to hit the boundary cushion of Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. India smelt any wicket of the pair as the number three batter of the South Africa side was sent back by Kuldeep in his second over of the spell for 24 runs. The right-handed batter also burnt the review when the third-umpire couldn’t save Mulder.

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It was a good length delivery from the Uttar Pradesh spinner over the wicket as Mulder missed the reverse-sweep and was stuck dead in front of the stumps. The umpire had no hesitation in raising the finger to send the batter back as South Africa found themselves 114/4 in 30 overs.

Watch: Wiaan Mulder trapped LBW on 24 by Kuldeep Yadav during IND vs SA 1st Test in Kolkata

Earlier in the game, the visiting captain, Temba Bavuma, won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a track that was decent for batting in the first couple of days. The Proteas faced a huge setback with the absence of Kagiso Rabada due to a rib injury, while the Blue Brigade decided to go with four spinners in the eleven, as Washington Sundar was slotted at number three.

@imkuldeep18 dismisses Wiaan Mulder #IndvsSA pic.twitter.com/fohSaJGtK3

— Cricket Everywhere✍🏻 (@Subhamk79241601) November 14, 2025

Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the two opening batters, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, in a span of just three overs. The southpaw missed the outside edge of his bat as the ball broke the stumps before Markam couldn’t handle the awkward bounce of the surface to get caught by the wicket-keeper.

Kuldeep later dismissed Bavuma, who pressed forward to get an outside edge of his bat and got caught by the leg slip fielder. The Proteas were soon reduced to 120/5 with Bumrah sending back Tony de Zorzi.