From grovelling to greatness: Proteas conquer their Everest in India

COMMENT

Grovel.

A term that has for long carried negative connotations within cricket due to former England captain Tony Greig’s comments almost 50 years ago ahead of the series against the all-black West Indies team. It was a different world back then.

South Africa was still deep in the throes of Apartheid, and Greig, a South African-born white man, made his statements only a few weeks before the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when police opened fire on schoolchildren protesting to be taught in their mother tongue.

So when Proteas coach Shukri Conrad, who was himself denied the opportunity to represent his country due to the colour of his skin, loosely tossed up the grenade on the eve of arguably one of the finest days in the Proteas’ Test history, the Indian media went ballistic.

They had their story: another South African using racist terminology.

But as Conrad often points out, always make sure of the facts, for they could ruin a good story. The Oxford Dictionary explains grovel as an “act in an obsequious way in order to obtain someone’s forgiveness or favour.”

And that applies more to South African cricket than any other nation.

For the past decade, Cricket South Africa (CSA) have been the ones grovelling at the feet of the “Big Three” — India, England and Australia — for a seat at the main table. CSA have been thrown crumbs in terms of hosting major ICC tournaments, and the Test side was treated as a pariah, limited to two-match series, while the trio continued to face each other in lucrative four-and five-match contests.

And even when CSA launched their own T20 franchise tournament in a bid to become self-sustainable and not rely on the Big Three for handouts, they were heavily criticised for not “protecting the international game”.

Newton’s Third Law applies here, though, for CSA could only be pushed back against the wall for so long before it pushed back, regardless of the risk.

This is the backdrop to the holistic significance of the Proteas’ first series victory in India in 25-years on Wednesday in Guwahati. This was not just a team playing against a formidable opponent, but also history and the powers-that-be that have kept their foot on South Africa’s throat for years.

Even when Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma re-galvanised the Proteas to the Test summit at Lord’s earlier this year, when Bavuma lifted the golden World Test Championship mace, the doubters still never went away. But this 2-0 clean sweep should be their crowning glory, silencing all and sundry, for this remarkable achievement matches the WTC final success.

They outsmarted India at their own game. The Proteas spinners — and one in particular, Simon Harmer — were too cunning for India’s batters, while their own batters mastered India’s spinners. Most impressively, they held their nerve when it mattered most by playing the big moments better.

This series belonged to Conrad and Bavuma.

They complement each other like fire and ice. Bavuma is measured, stoic and patient, while Conrad’s surface bravado camouflages his astute tactical cricket brain. Together, they have moulded a team that simply never knows when it is beaten; a side willing to fight for every run and wicket, and to revel in each other’s success.

For long, the notion has been that this side does not possess any superstars outside of talismanic fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

Now, what would the odds have been on a Proteas Test series win without Rabada delivering a ball in anger?

Upon Conrad’s appointment as national coach two years ago, he stressed that his team was “Proudly Mzansi”.

He wanted South Africans to place a higher value on their own players and to stop hero-worshipping from abroad. He believed South Africa boasted a group of talented young cricketers who could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the world — they simply needed the self-belief to do it.

They have now done it.

Marco Jansen sits comfortably among the premier all-rounders in the world game, but by his own admission had “struggled bowling in India” before this tour. Jansen was virtually unplayable in Guwahati, troubling every Indian batter with his pace and bounce. It was perfectly apt that he was named Player of the Match, given his all-round contribution with the bat and that stunning final catch.

The Proteas have conquered their Everest. The hurt of previous tours has been laid to rest. They now deserve the world to grovel at their feet.