Elgar: To face India in their country ... Wow!
MOHALI: Dean Elgar reckons it’s a good thing batsmen’s midpitch conferences are not with earshot of the stump mic. Far from providing riveting insight about what the ball may be doing to their partners, the Proteas opener said it’s a time to muse about the important things in life.
“How’s the missus, what are we eating for supper tonight… what we had for supper last night.” Pearls of wisdom, indeed.
But the South African camp will hope that Elgar has plenty of these mundane mutterings, because he has a mighty big job on his hand. Happily, the Titans man with a big heart has been itching for this occasion for a long, long time.
“”I have been waiting 10 years for the opportunity. To face India, in their country, wow! I am looking forward to the experience, and I can’t wait for it,” he said with all the seriousness that is missing from mid-pitch conferences.
“We’ve obviously got a big job. We have to lay the foundation for our middle-order to come in and express themselves. If we get in, then we have to cash in, but it’s important to set it up for those guys, because we have some amazing players.”
If opening was a law firm, Elgar would now be senior partner after the retirements of Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen. Elgar, though, says it’s not that big a promotion because the incoming Stiaan van Zyl has been around him for years.
“I suppose I am the senior partner now. But to be honest, we are both very laidback characters, which is good. We have six balls to be serious, and then 20-30 seconds to switch off,” he said.
“You spend so much time focussing, which is your job, obviously. But if you didn’t take those small breaks, it would be too much. I have known Stiaan for many years, which obviously helps. We have been on many (SA) A tours together, and shared plenty partnerships. We also get along very well off the field.”
That trust, he explains, is crucial. You have to trust your own game, your ability to perform on this stage, and everything that comes with it. And speaking of trust, Elgar expects to be entrusted with plenty of overs, with JP Duminy almost certainly out of the first test against India.
Duminy has yet to remove all of his stitches from his hand, and the window on him doing that and getting to grips with a bat or ball is just about shut. In his absence, Elgar’s left-arm spin becomes more than just handy.
“I’ve changed my attitude towards bowling over the last few years, and I would like to be seen as not part-time anymore,” Elgar said. “I don’t want to be the guy who gets two overs before the new ball is due, or a quick over to try and burgle a wicket just before lunch.”
He is ambitious, but realistic. “I know I have a few weaknesses, and there is no use trying to change all of that now. I can’t remodel my action, it’s too late now,” he added. “But I also think I can use my strengths, like my control. I have taken a lot more responsibility at the Titans and the A side, and I want to help here too.”
Elgar’s energy and excitement will be needed over the next month, and he says he gets a steady refill of it. “When you go anywhere around India, the people are so excited. The other night, we went out for supper and there were hundreds of people outside, just watching us. It’s something you have to embrace, and feed off, because it’s passion for the game.”
A lot of Elgar’s anecdotes revolve around food in India. He swears that he discovered the greatest butter chicken in the world when he was in Mumbai. But chicken aside, he is ravenous to get out in the middle and show what he can do.
Then he can share his butter chicken utopia with Van Zyl, who will have no option but to listen, 30 seconds at a time. Squads India: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravi Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma. South Africa: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, Dane Vilas (wk), Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt. Play at Mohali starts at 9:30 am (6am South African time). TV: Supersport 2 from 5:30am.