After the fourth day of the Second Test match between India and South Africa in Guwahati, the controversy erupted as the latter declared their second innings with a huge lead and set India an impossible target to achieve.
What Did South African Coach Shukri Conrad Say?
In the post stumps presser, Shukri Conrad justified the move by stating, ‘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…’ which meant that his team planned to tire out the Indian fielders, take them out of the contest, and then put India in a position where it was almost impossible for them to succeed.
What Does ‘Grovel’ Means? History and Origin
At first glance, the term ‘grovel’ may appear to be nothing more than an expression of cricketing cheek, a way of putting the other team in the position of being defeated by merely playing better. However, the term has a long and turbulent history in cricket. Its notoriety dates back to 1976 when the then England captain Tony Greig made a very similar statement, his team would make the then West Indies players ‘grovel’. The remark was largely criticized as racially insensitive because Greig was a white South African who had been born in the country and was now addressing a mostly Black Caribbean team, and the time was still affected by colonial and racial issues. Given that, many considered Conrad’s use of ‘grovel’ as being at the least unwise and at the most racially charged, no matter if he actually meant harm. Opponents claim that the word brings to mind centuries of colonial and racial oppression, thus turning it into a serious matter rather than just teasing or bragging. To paraphrase one commentator, in cricket terminology ‘grovel’ is not a simple expression but ‘a word tied to a notoriously painful incident.’
How Are Indian Players Reacting To The ‘Grovel’ Remark?
The response was immediate. Former Indian Players such as Anil Kumble, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Aakash Chopra along with former wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel all reacted to the statement by criticizing it. They felt it to be disrespectful, unnecessary and outdated for the current cricket scenario, particularly for a coach of such a strong team. Many have thrown in the idea that an emphatic win should always be preceded by humility and respect.
‘We wanted to make India grovel’ — South African coach after the end of Day-4.
I hope everyone in the Indian dressing room has been made to understand what exactly it means and a little bit of history lesson on when it was last used by someone in Cricket. And what happened next…— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 26, 2025
.@anilkumble1074 and @DaleSteyn62 break down South Africa coach Shukri Conrad’s bold “make India grovel” remark, reminding that dominance is fine, but choice of words matters just as much.
A fiery comment followed by strong reactions!#INDvSA 2nd Test Day 5 LIVE NOW 👉… pic.twitter.com/k0g3gBbKlW
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 26, 2025
It has also been pointed out the painful irony a coach from South Africa, a place with a long history of institutionalized racial segregation using a term that a white South African born batsman once used against an Asian team India, in this case which had been colonized. No matter if Conrad was alluding to the past intentionally or not, the response is indicative of cricket’s close association with historical memory. Words have the power of creating and breaking barriers, the choice of a single word in this case has brought up old issues. Critics argue that it represents a need to transcend simple aggression and rethink how respect, history, and kindness are interconnected with competition.
