THE FINAL NAIL
DOCILE: ELGAR EXPECTED MORE FIGHT FROM AUSSIES
It’s mission impossible for Australia as Dean, Faf bat them into sullen silence.
Dogged South African opening batsman Dean Elgar batted for over six hours against Australia in the fourth Test at the Wanderers, but said the fourth day did not have the same intensity as previous contests between the two nations.
The fallout from Australia’s ball-tampering debacle is undoubtedly the major reason for that, but the match situation also reduced the tourists to sullen silence as they trailed by 267 runs on the first innings and were then set a ridiculous target of 612 to level the series, after Elgar’s 250-ball 81 and Faf du Plessis’ brave 120 allowed South Africa to declare on 344/6.
“It was odd. I’ve played quite a few Tests against Australia and it’s definitely been the most docile Test I’ve played against them. I don’t think it’s going to last very long. I think you need to have a tenacious approach in Test cricket. Nice guys come second,” said Elgar.
“There are a lot of frustrations over the course of five days. It’s only human nature for guys to say words to each other, but that’s fine as long as it’s not personal and it just has a competitive edge, I am okay with that. It’s never nice being called nasty things on the field, but I don’t mind that. It gets me going, so I will use that to my advantage,” Elgar said after stumps yesterday.
Elgar dropped anchor for long periods of the second innings, but he said that was his role – just to take advantage of the huge amount of time they had to build an impregnable lead.
“With so much time left in the game I knew that it was ultimately my job to just try and anchor the innings and try and put up a big lead. We were in a fortunate position. “I think it was important for someone to drive it home by spending some time at the crease. We were fortunate with Faf playing a superb knock today and with myself being able to extend our lead in quite a good way.”