South Africa aim to give Elgar perfect farewell in second Test against India
A veteran left-handed Test opener with remarkable numbers will ride into the sunset having been a pillar of strength for his team’s batting line-up for years.
Yes, David Warner is retiring from Tests, and ODIs. And so is South Africa’s Dean Elgar.
The Proteas batsman will turn out for the final time this week, during the second and final Test against India, which starts in Cape Town today. As he prepares for the final chapter of his remarkable career, Elgar has legitimate reasons to be considered a modern great.
Over the past 10 years, Elgar has scored the most runs (3,271) and has one of the best averages (48.1) among all batsmen to have played Tests in South Africa – arguably the most difficult country in the world for a Test opener given the considerable help for seamers across venues.
Elgar is one of the last oldschool Test batsmen who grinds the bowler down and is willing to take many hits to the body to stay at the crease.
As one of the last remaining “traditional” batsmen, Elgar will aim to bring the curtain down on his Test career and also lead South Africa to victory.
The hosts will be favourites in Cape Town after India’s hopes of registering their first ever Test series win in the country were comprehensively dashed as they lost the first Test by an innings and 32 runs.
Elgar, 36, will captain the side – standing in for the injured Temba Bavuma – and is in great form having scored a majestic 185 in the first Test.
For India, the challenge will be two-fold. Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is expected to return to bolster the bowling and batting that failed spectacularly in the first Test.
Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj maintained reasonable control in Centurion but lacked support from the other seamers – all-rounder Shardul Thakur and newcomer Prasidh Krishna. At least one of Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan is in line to play at Newlands. The batting fared no better in Gauteng. With the exception of Virat Kohli and centurion KL Rahul, the visitors’ batsmen looked ill-equipped to deal with South Africa’s all-pace attack.
Captain Rohit Sharma continued to struggle in South African conditions, being dismissed twice by Kagiso Rabada for five and nought.
Away from the match, Elgar said he was “sad” South Africa will be sending a weakened team to play Tests in New Zealand in March. Only two of the players who won the first Test against India will be travelling to New Zealand – the result of a decision by Cricket South Africa to prioritise their domestic T20 franchise competition.
“The situation we’ve been put in is not ideal,” Elgar said.
“Irrespective of what has happened behind the scenes there is still a lot of hunger (for Test cricket) from the guys who are playing,” he said. Elgar added it was an opportunity “for the guys going to New Zealand to put in performances and to eventually become regular members of the squad”.