Former India cricketers Cheteshwar Pujara, Anil Kumble and Akash Chopra have reacted sharply to the comments made by South Africa coach Shukri Conrad about wanting to make India “grovel” after stumps on Day 4 of the second Test at Guwahati. Conrad’s comments, which have raised hackles in India, were made at the end of day’s play on Tuesday.
When Conrad was asked for a reason South Africa had persisted to bat on despite having a sizeable lead on board, he 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 use of the word—made infamous in cricketing folklore when it was used by England’s Tony Grieg before a series against West Indies in 1976, which led to the team from the Caribbean sweeping England in England by a 3-0 margin in a five-match Test series—did not sit right with the local broadcaster’s panel of former cricketers.
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Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel had slammed South Africa coach Conrad who had pointed at the smirk on the coach’s face when he had delivered the line. Parthiv Patel had labelled the comments as disrespectful and had said that he believed that an apology would be forthcoming on the fifth day of the Test.
Meanwhile, former India players like Anil Kumble, Cheteshwar Pujara and Akash Chopra also reacted to the use of that specific word.
“There’s history attached to this phrase. Fifty years ago, an England captain used the same phrase against the great West Indies side, and we all know what followed,” Kumble said. “South Africa have most likely won the series. But if the Indian team is searching for inspiration or guts (to fight from this position), you will get that when the opposition is using such words and think of you like that. You will need to show himmat (strength) and you need to show that this team will not give you the remaining eight wickets easily. We’ll fight. There’s an art to fighting for a draw on the final day of the Test.”
When Pujara was asked if the South Africa team, with the overwhelming odds they have of wrapping up the series by a 2-0 margin, needed to say such things, the former India star said: “There was no need for that. If such a statement has been made it means that the Indian team is not in a good situation. Yeh dil main lagne wali baat hai. Jab yeh baat dil pe lagti hai, tab aap behtar bente hain. (It’s something that should sting the heart, and when such a thing stings your heart you get better). First of all, you will have to play out today’s day today. And then you will have to remember these words for a long time. The World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has not ended yet. If you want to give a fitting answer to this, you will have to do so in the WTC Final. We hope that the Indian team makes it to the WTC Final and face South Africa there so we can give a fitting answer there. We need to learn from this incident and the coach’s comments.”
To this, Chopra added: “It’s a bit unfortunate (the comments). If you look at the series between England and West Indies back in 1976, they needed to change the rules mid-way after the West Indians replied to that comment from Tony Grieg with bouncers. It fired a revolution. Today, we need to fight to avoid for a draw. I hope the Indian team comes back out fired up.”
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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