We wanted India to grovel: South Africa coach Shukri Conrad creates a stir

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad wanted his men to make India “grovel” on the fourth day by setting them the mammoth 549-run target that the embattled hosts are currently chasing to save the second Test and an imminent series whitewash.

Conrad’s expression could well stir tensions in what has been a fairly amicable series, but he did mention that he was “stealing a phrase” from the infamous interview by late England skipper Tony Greig before the 1976 home series against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies which his team lost 0-3.

“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 literally rubbed it in at the post-play press conference when asked why South Africa batted for nearly 80 overs when they had already acquired a sizeable lead.

To “grovel” means to “lie or crawl abjectly on the ground with one’s face downwards”, something that Greig, who was of white South African heritage, had said in reference to the Caribbean players, their painful history of slavery and the apartheid in Rainbow Nation.

Whether Cricket South Africa has a quiet word with their coloured coach making an objectionable reference at an opposition national team, that has its own history of facing racism, is not yet known.

Wanted pacers to use fading sunlight

Conrad was asked to explain why they delayed the declaration and whether it could affect the final outcome of the match with India getting away with a draw.

“There were a few factors. We obviously were looking at how best we are going to use the new ball, so that in the morning we still get a newish, hard ball,” Conrad said.

He then gave an interesting insight into his tactical nous.

“We felt that when the shadows come across the pitch in the evening, there’s something in it for the quick bowlers. So we didn’t want to declare too early and not be able to use that (with hard ball).

“And then obviously we wanted India to spend as much time on their feet out in the field.”

India bat till number 8 and Conrad knows that the hosts would try their best not to get skittled out.

“So far so good but we also know they are just not going to roll over. We have to be at our very best tomorrow but those are the factors that we considered here.”  He understands that if India saves the game, then questions will be asked about the timing of the team’s declaration but insisted that the idea was to tire Indian bowlers out.

“Some people would say you batted for too long. I don’t think it is. I don’t think there’s a right and a wrong in anything. We wanted India to come out again after that second break and again spend time on their feet.”

Bavuma and his men had made India field for nearly two full days in the first innings and had reaped rewards. He wanted a repeat of that.

“Their bowlers spent a lot of time out there. We saw the effects of batting for two full days in the first innings and what sort of effect it had on them.

“Yeah it was never going to be easy for the opening batters to come this evening (with) especially new ball shadows across the wicket,” he explained.

“So if tomorrow evening, it comes that we have them eight down and people say well see ‘we told you so’. Well, I mean we have got to base it on our sound judgment and if that doesn’t work out well, it doesn’t,” Conrad said with a cheeky smile.