A historic Test series win on Indian soil — South Africa’s first in 25 years — should have been the defining narrative of the Proteas’ tour. Instead, much of the spotlight shifted to a single word used by head coach Shukri Conrad.
The controversy began during the press conference after day four of the second Test, when South Africa, having taken firm control of the match, delayed their declaration. Conrad, explaining the decision, used a phrase that sparked immediate backlash.
“We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, ‘come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening,’” he said at the time.
The term “grovel,” historically associated with racially insensitive connotations in cricket due to its infamous use by Tony Greig in 1976, overshadowed the tactical context Conrad had intended.
It wasn’t until after South Africa’s 2-1 defeat in the ODI series that Conrad finally addressed the issue publicly. Speaking to reporters at the post-match press conference following the third ODI against India, he acknowledged the misstep.
“On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it,” Conrad said, reflecting on the phrase that had stirred so much controversy.
He explained further that the remark was solely intended to describe a strategic approach, not to offend.
“The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them. I’ve got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well,” he noted.
The fallout from a single word
As the ODI leg of the tour progressed, the fallout from the comment continued to linger. Conrad admitted that the controversy had overshadowed the team’s significant achievement in the Test series.
“It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so,” he added.
He emphasized that while the word itself may not be inherently offensive, its interpretation caused unintended damage.
“The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it’s a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended,” he said.
Conrad emphasised that at the core of his coaching philosophy is humility — something he believes should always remain central to South African cricket’s culture.
“Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter,” he stated.
He also expressed regret that the media narrative had shifted from the players’ performances to his own comment.
“It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach. People shouldn’t really even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit, and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now,” he emphasized.
Missed opportunity in the ODI series
Turning attention to the ODI series, Conrad lamented the team’s failure to follow up their Test triumph with a second series win.
“Yes, we had a chance to do something really special,” he said.
He noted that a clean sweep of both Test and ODI series on Indian soil would have been a rare feat.
“I think the last time India lost both the Test and ODI series goes back to the 1990s. We missed out on that opportunity. But look, they’re a world-class side with world-class players,” he added.
Despite the disappointment, Conrad viewed the experience as valuable preparation for the long road ahead — especially with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon.
“When Rohit (Sharma) is in this type of form, you cannot afford to yield your game. But like I said, part of this is building towards 2027, the World Cup in South Africa. I’d like to think that a few things are starting to fall into place with that. A lot of experience built in you,” he noted.
Learning from India’s best
Conrad underlined the importance of learning from top-level opposition, particularly for South Africa’s younger players.
“Therein lies the learnings for us, for our young batters to see what the world’s best does, i.e. Virat and Rohit, how they go about their business. And I’d like to think that we will take that learning with us and then grow from there, especially our younger batters,” he explained.
He admitted the team fell short with the bat in the decisive third ODI.
“I’d like to think that we were a little bit short with the bat. We started off really well with the ball, but because we didn’t post a score big enough, the Indian opening batters didn’t have to take any risks and they put us under pressure. But I think we let ourselves down with the bat. We needed to post something a lot more competitive to put India under pressure. But, such are the margins when two equally matched teams are up against each other, (and) when one team is slightly off,” he said.
Injury setback ahead of T20 series
Injury concerns also hampered South Africa’s plans ahead of the T20I series. Conrad confirmed that opener Tony de Zorzi would miss the upcoming matches.
“He was out earlier today, so he was out of the T20 series as well. Yeah, it’s really tough. Obviously, we were, I guess I should use the term hamstrung. But we were hamstrung by Tony’s injury,” he said, joined by the team manager.
Strategy behind the declaration
Revisiting the original decision that led to the “grovel” remark, Conrad shed light on the tactical thinking behind South Africa’s late declaration in the second Test.
“We looked at how best to use the new ball in the morning,” he explained at the time, speaking to reporters after day four of the second Test.
Even as he clarified and contextualized his earlier words, Conrad appeared eager to shift focus back to the cricket — to the players, performances, and progress, rather than a phrase that briefly derailed the narrative.
