Chief coach Shukri Conrad, center, have discussions with Kesav Maharaj, right and another during the practice session ahead of the first test match between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel has slammed South Africa coach Shukri Conrad for his comments about wanting to make India “grovel” after stumps on Day 4 of the second Test at Guwahati. Asked why South Africa had continued to bat for so long rather than declaring their second innings, Conrad had said with a smile: “We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steer afraid, bat them completely out the gate, and then say to them : survive on the last day and an hour this evening.”
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The word “grovel” has a place in cricketing infamy, with England’s Tony Grieg using it before a series against West Indies in 1976, The use of that word—Grieg had said that he wanted to make the West Indies grovel—had incensed the West Indies so much that they thumped England in England by 3-0 in a five-match Test series.
Last time when 'Grovel' word was used in Cricket this happened. https://t.co/y3vq7X4yFf pic.twitter.com/Ly9da9FSgw
— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) November 25, 2025
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The use of the word grovel by the South African coach has not gone unnoticed with the host broadcaster asking former India players like Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara and Akash Chopra for their response to the use of that specific word.
ALSO READ | ‘Dil main lagne wali baat… remember this for long time’: Pujara, Kumble, Akash Chopra react to Shukri Conrad’s ‘grovel’ remark
Patel, for one, was in no mood to give Conrad the benefit of the doubt and believed that an apology would be forthcoming on the fifth day of the Test.
“Maybe the South African coach does not know the weightage of the word. But I don’t think so. There was a smirk on his face when he said it. There is no doubt that it was disrespectful. As the Indian team all you do is tell them that ‘You’ve come to this situation by playing well. Well done to you. But there was no need to use such words’. I think through the day we will see an apology from Conrad. I don’t think such things are needed on the cricketing field. You can fight, play hard, but such things are not needed,” Patel said on the Star Sports broadcast before the start of the day’s play on Wednesday.
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India head into the final day with their backs to the wall, they were 27/2 at stumps of Day 4 at Guwahati. They now have to bat the whole day to salvage a draw, which will still not prevent them from losing the series since South Africa won the first Test at Eden Gardens. If India are to seek a series-levelling victory, they will need to score 549 runs in the final innings.
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