Proteas opener and red ball cricket skipper Dean Elgar expects a few feisty encounters and egos to spice up the first of three Tests between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba on Saturday.
The Proteas and the Aussies meet for the first time in a Test match since the infamous 2018 sandpaper scandal in Cape Town.
South Africa are in Australia for a three-match Test series under interim coach Malibongwe Maketa who took over from former coach Mark Boucher.
The first match starts on Saturday in Brisbane (2.20am, SA time).
The last Test series between the sides made the headlines for all the wrong reasons as Cameron Bancroft was caught on TV trying to roughen one side of the ball with sandpaper in Cape Town.
Aussies captain Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for a year while Bancroft received a nine-month ban.
“There will be moments, no doubt, where there’s going to be a few feisty encounters,” Elgar said before the match.
“Hopefully it doesn’t reach the stage we experienced in 2018.
“[We haven’t spoken about that], I think what happened in the past has happened. There’s no grudges with what has happened.
“But we know we want to win and they also want to win. There’s always going to be a moment where egos and the heat of the moment get to the guys.
“But I think it will be better controlled this time around.”
For the Proteas, the focus has been on ensuring their batters, who have disappointed in the build up to this series, are at their best as Elgar expects a tough time against the Australian attack.
“The Aussie attack is always one you have to compete with. I know if you implement yourself as a batting unit you can get through the tough times,” he said.
“There’s going to be a lot of tough times and you have to knuckle down and grind it out irrespective of the conditions we have in front of us.
“As the batting unit we’ve got to knuckle down. Ja, the bowling unit they put out is always going to be something that will keep you busy.
“It’s always an exciting prospect facing the Aussie attack and facing any Test attack is always exciting.
“What happened in 2018, the bowling attack they had was also a competitive attack, no doubt. I think at the moment they are a bit more established from a bowling point of view. We have to be mindful and respectful around that. But we know if we implement our things we can get through it.”
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