• Source:JND
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India vs South Africa 1st Test: South Africa cricket team head coach Shukri Conrad cleverly defused the 'bauna' controversy surrounding captain Temba Bavuma, quipping that his skipper possesses the "heart of a giant" following their win over India in the first Test match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

Conrad was questioned about the stump-mic controversy when India's pace ace Jasprit Bumrah referred to Bavuma as "bauna", a Hindi term for dwarfism, in a controversy on whether to take DRS on the opening day, and the video of which has since then gone viral.

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After the match, Bumrah was seen walking over to the Proteas captain and trading a warm hug amid the fuss that had spewed on day 1.

"Thankfully, he has got a heart like a giant. We'll leave it at that," Conrad said at the post-match press conference.

The coach eloquently extolled skipper Bavuma's unbeaten 55 in the second innings before the bowlers successfully defended the target of 124.

"Firstly, on Temba, I said it two days before the Test match, having our best player back is very reassuring for us, it brings calmness," he said.

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Bavuma made a comeback during this series after convalescing from a calf injury that he suffered post the WTC triumph in June.

"In the last 18 months to 24 months he's been one of the best players in the world, and he showed that again this morning and yesterday afternoon. He was clear on how he wanted to do it, and went against the grain of everybody else in the match," he added.

"That was the difference between the two sides, Temba's innings, his partnership with (Corbin Bosch) Boshie this morning, I thought that was immense and that gave us something we felt we could defend," the South Africa coach said.

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