The former Indian captain and the opening batter, Sunil Gavaskar, reckoned that the use of the ‘grovel’ comment from the South Africa head coach, Shukri Conrad, at the end of the fourth day’s play during the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati was an ill-advised use of the word.

Gavaskar highlighted how much the Blue Brigade helped the Proteas over the years now and reflected on that point during his interaction on JioHotstar during the opening ODI of the three-match series at the JSCA Cricket Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

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“You could say it was an ill-advised use of the word. We need to look back at South Africa’s re-entry into international cricket. It was the Indian Cricket Board that proposed South Africa’s readmission after more than 20 years of isolation, and their first international match on return was played in India. Indian and South African cricket have shared a positive, collaborative relationship for decades.” Gavaskar expressed on JioHotstar.

Sunil Gavaskar expects apology from South Africa head coach on ‘grovel’ comment

Conrad, during the Guwahati red-ball fixture, expressed that they wanted to make India grovel in the middle, and that was the reason they kept batting in the third innings despite being ahead of the situation with a lead of over 450 runs on the board. The Proteas went on to win the encounter by a massive 408-run margin.

“When you consider the current landscape of South African cricket, especially the SA20, five out of the six franchises are Indian-owned. These owners are significantly supporting South African players—not just the international stars who are well taken care of, but the fringe players as well—giving them opportunities to build strong careers.” Gavaskar addressed the interaction.

“I hope that in his next media interaction, he addresses it. I don’t think an apology is necessary; I personally don’t believe in apologies. But acknowledging it and making up for it would be accepted by everyone. These things happen. In the heat of the moment, you can get carried away and say something that goes a bit over the top.” The former Indian captain concluded.