Elgar has learned from Lord’s Test

FAR fewer demands (from the media in particular), the fact he is playing at home and that the series has already been won, has made Dean Elgar’s second experience of being the Proteas’ stand-in skipper a more relaxed one.

The first time was something of an ordeal. It was an immensely proud moment for Elgar, at Lord’s in 2017 to be sure, but it was hectic too. It was a series opener against England, it was Lord’s and the South African team he was asked to lead had been stitched together. Besides Faf du Plessis, absent for that match while his wife was giving birth, there was also no Dale Steyn and a couple of senior players were carrying poor form.

“The whole experience in England was a lot more chaotic,” Elgar reflected yesterday ahead of the third and final Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers.

At Lord’s Elgar had to do a radio interview, a separate TV engagement, before conducting the formal press conference with a far larger media delegation than was present at the Wanderers yesterday.

“I remember running around all over at Lord’s, then doing the presser, with a lot more reporters and that was quite intimidating. I’ve learned a lot from that experience,” Elgar said.

Just one TV interview and an 11-minute press conference were all the demands he faced after training yesterday morning.

“This time around, it’s a little less stressed due to the nature of the series and the venue. This time I really want to take it in, I’m not sure when I’ll do this again, so I want to really enjoy the experience,” Elgar said.

A different outcome to the Lord’s Test would add to that enjoyment and Elgar has stressed that with the squad this week. “We’ve got the series in the bag, there is still a massive goal for us, to drive home that final nail, which we deserve to do, we’ve played good cricket in this series,” he said.

The South Africans will likely stick with the four-pronged pace attack that did duty at Newlands, although when the suspended Du Plessis inspected the pitch yesterday there was talk about its dryness and thus the possible inclusion of spinner Keshav Maharaj in the starting team.

Opener Aiden Markram, who bruised his right thigh in the second Test, was declared fit to start today. Zubayr Hamza will make his debut in place of Du Plessis and is likely to bat at No 5.