South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad stirred a controversy after the fourth day’s play in the ongoing second Test against India in Guwahati.

Speaking to the media, Conrad declared, “we wanted to make India grovel” as he defended the Proteas’ late declaration call.

The remark prompted sharp reactions the Indian fans on social media. In fact, former Indian cricketers such as Anil Kumble, Cheteshwar Pujara and Aakash Chopra were left disappointed by the phrasing as well.

Ahead of the fifth day’s play in Guwahati, legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn also condemned Conrad’s comment, which has drawn widespread backlash due to its historical context.

Notably, the term “grovel” was infamously used by former England skipper Tony Grieg before a Test series against the West Indies in 1976. Grieg had said that he wanted to make the West Indies grovel, which riled up the Caribbean team so much that they ended up thrashing England in their den by 3-0 in a five-match series.

“I’m not on that boat, eh? I don’t like that. I almost don’t even want to make a comment about it,” Steyn said, visibly uneasy. “There are certain things you just don’t say. There’s stigma attached to it. It just wasn’t necessary. South Africa were in such a dominant position—saying nothing is enough. I’m just not on that boat,” Steyn said while speaking on Cricket Live.

He added, “Maybe I pick up his tone now—it’s not as harsh as Tony Greig’s. But that doesn’t matter. You just don’t use words like that. Toss it. You don’t have to say it. That’s disappointing. Sorry, Shukri, but that’s disappointing.”

Trailing 0-1 in the two-match series, the hosts ended the penultimate day on 27/2, needing 522 more runs for victory with just eight wickets in hand.

When Shukri Conrad was asked in the post-day presser why the visitors had opted to bat for so long rather than declaring, he replied by saying: "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."

India’s misery continued in the morning session on Day 5, losing nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel and stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant to find themselves reeling at 58/5. In the second session, Sai Sudharsan’s 139-ball vigil for 14 runs also came to an end as the hosts were reduced to 95/6.

South Africa need to break the last recognized batting pair of Ravindra Jadeja-Washington Sundar and then dismiss the Indian tail to walk away with a historic 2-0 series win.