Elgar expects spice, but no ill feeling, in Test series in Australia

Proteas captain Dean Elgar knows what it takes to win a Test series in Australia, but the opening batter is not reading too much into past successes.

The 35-year-old, who was on the winning side of two touring sides Down Under­ in the last decade, said it was fine to look back on those achievements but warned against getting caught up in their hype.

Elgar will lead his side into three tough encounters, starting at The Gabba in Brisbane on December 17, before they head to the MCG in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test then the final clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting January 4.

“We've had a pretty good record of late [in Australia] — I have experienced two tours here in the past, and they have ended quite well for us,” the left-hander said in his arrival press conference on Monday.

“In saying that, it is in the past. [But] the learning from that is that we can compete and win here, which is a huge positive for us in our group.

“We do have quite a few guys here who have not played a series [in Australia] yet. It is a positive we can learn from and focus on.

“Australia is a good place to play Test cricket — I feel it is very balanced between bat and ball. Conditions are something we will weigh up when we get to the venues, but in general they are good conditions for Test cricket.”

Asked if there might be any animosity remaining from the infamous 2017-18 series in SA, where several widely televised incidents took place over the four-match series, culminating in the Sandpapergate scandal, Elgar said SA had no lingering ill feelings towards their opponents.

“It was a very tough time for all of us, even though we weren't the guys who got the brunt of everything, but we were part of that. They were sad events that happened, but I don't hold any animosity towards the players who were involved or Cricket Australia.

“That period has long lapsed, and we move forward as a group after that. The history between SA and Australia is so rich;we both want to go out and win and play a brand of cricket our countries are proud of.

“It was extremely juicy back then. Even building up to that game in Cape Town, it was interesting times, and hopefully that has been put to bed now.”

On why it would be different, Elgar said: “Hopefully there are no antics happening on the field that someone gets busted for — it was sad to see those events unfold.

“I am pretty sure on the field there is always a bit of spice. We love playing against Australia, we have a deep respect for Australian cricket so hopefully we can put on a good spectacle.”

While looking forward to the challenge of playing cricket at what he believes are the big three Test-playing venues in Australia, Elgar said ensuring his team implemented their disciplines correctly would let personal and squad achievements take care of themselves.