India vs South Africa: Dean Elgar says he focused on keeping things 'nice and simple' in Centurion Test

Dean Elgar said his knock was all about keeping it “nice and simple” while heaping praise on Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger for their match-winning contributions with the ball as South Africa thrashed India by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test in Centurion. Elgar starred in his team’s commanding victory inside three days with a magnificent 185 that helped the Proteas post a commanding 408 while Rabada (5/59) and debutant Burger (4/33) starred with the ball in the first and second innings respectively, in which the Indians were shot out for 245 and 131. Read: Rohit Sharma laments India’s abject surrender in Centurion “Pretty special knock. Sometimes what we want to do hasn’t worked out as plans, but happy that it worked today. I think you need to keep things nice and simple, the game is already pretty complex. Focus on the ball, play nice and straight. “Play late and be great. You got to ride the roller when it is in your favour. Good partnerships with Tony, and then Jansen showed his talent as well,” Elgar said during the post-match presentation ceremony after being named the Player of the Match. The 36-year-old, who is set to retire at the end of the series, helped the Proteas recover from a shaky start with a 93-run partnership with Tony de Zorzi (28). He would then forge equally important stands with debutant David Bedingham (56) and Marco Jansen (84 not out) worth 131 and 111 respectively, bringing up his 14th Test hundred — his first at his home ground — along the way. While accepting praise for his role in South Africa’s dominant win, he did not forget to credit the bowlers for dismantling the famed Indian batting lineup twice in a space of three days. “You need fast bowlers and a spinner potentially to take 20 wickets, that’s how we win Test matches. KG was brilliant, but then Nandre showed why he has been such a shining light for South African cricket,” Elgar added. The victory gives South Africa the lead in the two-Test series, dashing India’s hopes of conquering the ‘Final Frontier’ — beating the Proteas in a Test series in their own backyard  for the first time — in the ongoing tour.

🇿🇦THE PROTEAS LEAD THE FREEDOM SERIES

A mammoth all-round effort from the Proteas to take a 1-0 lead in the #Betway Test Series🇿🇦🇮🇳

What a victory by the boys 💪😅

The Final Frontier Continues 😎#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/MFWVAgphxS

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 28, 2023

The best Rohit Sharma and Co can manage from here is a victory in the New Year’s Test in Cape Town that will have the two sides sharing honours, much like MS Dhoni and Graeme Smith did in India’s 2010-11 tour of the ‘Rainbow Nation’. “You can’t win a 2 Test series if you don’t win the first one, the Indians are difficult to beat. We’ll have a few days out to relax and enjoy this. We were pretty clinical, our fielding wasn’t the best and we didn’t make it too easy for ourselves at times,” Elgar signed off.