As Dean Elgar prepares to conclude his Test cricket career against India, we reflect on some of his finest moments.
At the conclusion of the Test series against India, Dean Elgar will tie up his cleats, putting an end to a 12-year international career that commenced in 2012.
Gradually, Elgar established a reputation for himself as a tenacious Test opener in the longest format of the sport. Thus far, the southpaw has amassed 5146 runs in 84 Tests, 23 fifties and thirteen centuries.
As Elgar nears his farewell, we reflect on his five finest Test innings:
103* vs New Zealand (2013, Gqeberha)
Prior to becoming an all-conquering Test opener, Elgar was compelled to toil in the middle order due to the abundance of talent at the top of South Africa’s batting order at the time. It could not have gotten off to a worse start for Elgar’s Test career; he amassed two failures in his debut match against Australia in 2012.
However, upon his return home, the batsman demonstrated remarkable perseverance by scoring a century at No.7 against New Zealand in his very first Test match.
Elgar, who entered the match at 336/5, and Faf du Plessis played a sturdy 131-run stand together. The left-handed batsman was on 68 runs when du Plessis was dismissed, but he batted with tremendous fortitude with the tail. As he approached his century with a four, Elgar made a public declaration.
As soon as Elgar reached the milestone, South Africa declared, and the Proteas’ bowlers ensured they were not required to bat again. With the exception of a five-for in the first innings, Dale Steyn collected a total of eight wickets as South Africa triumphed by an innings and 193 runs.
127 vs Australia (2016, Perth)
After a dismal debut of four years, Elgar made a triumphant return to Perth, Australia, where he scored the deciding century in the inaugural Test.
Following one batting attempt by each team, the match remained in suspense as the hosts could only amass a two-run advantage. South Africa were 45/2 when Elgar and JP Duminy joined forces and altered the course of the game with a monumental 250-run stand.
During his 316 balls at the crease, Elgar demonstrated remarkable discipline by retaining the good balls and dismissing the poor ones in order to amass 127 runs, including seventeen fours and a maximum.
With its declaration at 540/8, South Africa set Australia a target of 539. With Kagiso Rabada’s five-fors, the visitors could only muster 361 runs in response. The series was ultimately won by the Proteas 2-1 in the subsequent Test, which they won by innings.
141* vs Australia (2018, Cape Town)
Elgar maintained his affection for the Australian bowling in the first innings of the third Test, this time with a tenacious century. Equaling Desmond Haynes, he carried his bat for the third time in his career; the two individuals continue to hold the record.
On the opening day of the match, the Proteas opener was put to the test of his fortitude as he consistently lost companions at the other end. Australia dispatched the Proteas batting order with the assistance of Pat Cummins’ four-fortunes, which limited only three other batsmen to double figures.
Elgar, on the other hand, maintained his unbeaten streak at 141 runs despite South Africa being bowled out for 311. In the end, the strike proved decisive between the two teams, as Australia’s response was a decline to 255.
With a tremendous 322-run victory, the hosts bowled Australia out for 107 after adding 373 runs in the second innings. The triumph facilitated South Africa’s recovery from a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 deficit, and the country went on to secure another series victory over Australia by winning the fourth Test.
160 vs India (2019, Visakhapatnam)
Elgar demonstrated his adaptability to all conditions with a magnificent 160 against the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Mohammed Shami. It is regarded as one of the finest scores of his career.
After amassing 502/7, India declared, having elected to bat first. At 63/4, South Africa were in early peril until Elgar and du Plessis combined for 115 runs to halt the collapse. The opening batsman and Quinton de Kock then combined for an additional crucial 164 runs for the sixth wicket, accumulating a century.
Elgar’s twelfth century, which featured four sixes and eighteen fours, demonstrated a combination of aggression and prudence in his response to India’s formidable bowling attack. Despite South Africa accumulating 431 runs at the conclusion of the Test, India’s batting and bowling in the second half proved to be too much for the visitors, who were defeated by 203 runs.
96* vs India (2022, Johannesburg)
Elgar and South Africa, trailing 1-0 in the series as the captain, were in dire straits, requiring 240 runs in the fourth innings to salvage the match.
Assembling 47 runs for the opening wicket, Aiden Markran’s aggressive strokeplay got South Africa off to an excellent start. During a rematch of the initial innings, Keegan Petersen and Elgar formed an additional tenacious partnership that impeded India’s progress.
Day three began with South Africa trailing by 118 runs at stumps, but the trip was anything but smooth navigation as Indian pacers barraged the batsmen with short deliveries. Despite suffering body impacts, Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen prevented South Africa from losing any more wickets.
“They do not seem to get me out when they hit me, so I guess they should stop hitting me,” quipped Elgar at the end of the Test.
Rain washed out much of day 4 with only 34 overs of play possible. But with Elgar at the crease, South Africa needed only 27.4 overs to level the series. It was fitting that Elgar hit the winning runs as the hosts inflicted the first-ever defeat on India at the Wanderers in Test cricket to level the series 1-1.
