Aakash Chopra outraged after Shukri Conrad’s ugly ‘grovel’ jibe, urges India to humiliate South Africa

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad sparked outrage after Day 4 as he said that his team wanted to make India “grovel” during the second Test in Guwahati on Tuesday, November 25. Former India opener Aakash Chopra condemned the remark on social media and encouraged India to respond on the field.

South Africa batted for more than 80 overs before declaring with a 548-run lead. Their decision to continue batting raised eyebrows, especially since the surface hadn't deteriorated much. The innings came to an end when Ravindra Jadeja removed Tristan Stubbs. The visitors declared with just a few overs left in the day.

Notably, the call proved justified, as India slipped to two early losses before stumps. They were left with a near-impossible chase of 522 to win or to try and save the Test on the final day.

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We Wanted Them to Really Grovel - Shukri Conrad

Shukri Conrad revealed that South Africa’s plan was to keep India on the field for as long as possible and leave them exhausted before the final innings. He said that the visitors wanted to “bat India out of the contest,” and then challenge the hosts to survive the last session of Day 4 and the entire final day.

"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, bat them completely out the game and then say to them well come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening," Conrad said in the press conference.

South Africa Coach Shukri Conrad’s ‘Grovel’ Remark Sparks Outrage

The head coach has transformed the South Africa Test side since taking over in January 2023. Notably, the team won the World Test Championship and is close to securing their first Test series win in India since 2000.

However, his remark about wanting his team to make the opposition “grovel” surprised many. The word carries a heavy history in cricket and is associated with an ugly episode from the past.

The term became infamous during the 1976 England–West Indies series. Before the Tests began, England captain Tony Greig said he wanted to make the West Indies “grovel”.

Many West Indies players and supporters accused him of racism, and Clive Lloyd later said the remark insulted people across the Caribbean. The West Indies won the five-match series 3-0, and fans ran onto the field to mock Greig.

I Hope Everyone in the Indian Dressing Room... - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra criticized Shukri Conrad after he used the term “grovel” to describe his team’s intent. Chopra urged that the Indian dressing room be reminded of its historical context and the controversy it sparked the last time it was used in cricket.

"‘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 #IndvSA," Chopra wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

‘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

Also read: Shreyas Iyer provides massive update on his injury ahead of South Africa ODIs