Can Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram be the ‘Bad Boys’ of the Proteas team?

LIKE A scene from a “buddy film” Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will ride together to Potchefstroom this morning.

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith developed “we ride together, we die together,” as a slogan for their movies and Elgar and Markram, while maybe not as hip, want to form a similar bond that will see them score runs together for a very long time.

Elgar, wants it that way, and the Proteas Test team desperately needs it that way. For too long South Africa have struggled to settle on an opening combination. Since Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen’s retirement, Elgar has been a mainstay at the top of the order. Smith and Petersen are two of seven different opening partners Elgar has had over the course of his career, but the other five – Stiaan van Zyl, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Theunis de Bruyn and Heino Kuhn – have all been selected at some stage in the last two years, a period encompassing 25 Tests, in which Elgar was absent once due to injury.

It’s no surprise then that he has developed an answer for how all the changes have affected him, and its not a good reflection of the selectors nor the players who have been picked to partner him.

“It’s unfair for a batting unit to be settled, if your openers are unsettled. Your core with regards to a batting collective is the opening pair. They set it up for the rest to play, naturally. We need stability and we need consistency,” Elgar explained.

There’s a strong argument that the selectors acted hastily in axing Cook, who’d scored three centuries in 11 Tests against attacks featuring some of the best fast bowlers in the world.

The selectors have now thrown their lot in with 22-year-old Markram and are almost forced to back him throughout this summer, which includes challenging series against India and Australia. Last week the pair shared an opening stand of 184 for the Titans in the second innings against the Dolphins at SuperSport Park. Both made hundreds in that match.

Hopefully we can have some longevity, we need with regards (to) the opening combination. Hopefully we can have a few series and a few seasons together,” Elgar said.

Many eyes will be fixed on Markram when the first Test against Bangladesh starts in Potchefstroom on Thursday. Nevermind just the opening spot, but in the long-term Markram is expected to potentially take over the captaincy reins. Elgar admits part of their road-tripping talks today will be about keeping things as simple as possible.

“He went from being Titans captain to Test opener in a week. He’s a highly-special cricketer and a gifted player. He mustn’t forget that,” said Elgar.

“Test cricket can cloud your thoughts – because of who you are and who you’re playing for... the occasion with cameras around, you can get sidetracked. I guess it’s my job to ease his mind and make him feel welcome.”

Elgar’s importance to the Proteas in the last year cannot be understated. He’s the second highest run-scorer in Test cricket in 2017 with an aggregate of 767 runs, second only to India’s Cheteshwar Pujara (851).

Elgar’s consistency stems from a simple, single-minded, thought process. “I’ve got no option, if I don’t do well in Test cricket I don’t play international cricket,” he said.

The nuggety left-hander is not sure what to expect from Bangladesh nor the pitch in Potchefstroom. The lack of rain in the North West may make preparing the pitch difficult, which could play into Bangladesh’s hands.

“They’ve had some success at home, but not that much away, possibly because they have to get accustomed to having their seam bowlers do more of the work,” Elgar said.