Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati
The question was about South Africa’s declaration in their second innings. Shukri Conrad, the team’s head coach, came up with a shocker. “We wanted them (India) to really grovel,” he said at the press conference, after the end of the fourth day’s play in the second Test between India and South Africa here in Guwahati.
A line was crossed and it wasn’t the boundary line. Probably as part of damage control, Conrad added: “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’.”
South Africa are on the cusp of their first Test series win in India in 25 years. On the final day tomorrow, they need eight wickets to complete a 2-0 clean sweep. India, chasing 549 in the fourth innings, finished the day on 27/2, after the Proteas declared their second innings on 260/5. The hosts don’t seem to have the batting wherewithal to survive three sessions on an ACA Stadium pitch that will have a little more turn and bounce on Day 5.
But “grovel”! And it came from someone whose father, Sedick, was an apartheid-era legend in Coloured cricket. Does the Proteas head coach know the implications of the word he used?
He mentioned “stealing a phrase”. Yes, Tony Grieg, the South Africa-born former England captain, had used the word before the 1976 series against the West Indies. It galvanised the Caribbeans for its racist overtone and Clive Lloyd’s men gave England a 3-0 hiding on the field.
Society has evolved and certain words can no longer be used. South Africa is a Rainbow nation now. It needs to be seen how Cricket South Africa reacts to Conrad’s comment.
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