One of Dean Elgar’s most fluent tons might see Proteas edge an advantage

Dean Elgar leapt, double-punched the air and waved his bat at the South African dressing room and his family seated up in one of the suites celebrating one of the best knocks of his Test career here on Wednesday. 

Elgar, who will be retiring from Test cricket at the end of this short series in Cape Town next week, notched up the 14th hundred of his career to help the Proteas reach 194/3 at tea on day two of the First Test in Centurion.

They trail India by 51 runs. Elgar was unbeaten on 115, an innings in which he has faced only 168 balls and struck 21 fours. With him is debutant David Bedingham, whose unbeaten 32 contained a number of attacking strokes. 

In what remains tricky conditions for batting, with the ball still zipping sideways off the seam, Elgar produced arguably his most fluent Test innings, bringing up the landmark with a thunderous pull for his 19th four.

His decision to retire from Test cricket is understood to be down to South Africa playing fewer Test matches in the next few years, and the matches that they do play next year will coincide with a lucrative contract that he is expected to take up with Essex in England. 

He, along with India’s KL Rahul, who made a fine century earlier in the day too, have been the only batters who so far have managed to strike the right balance between assured defence and calculated aggression. 

There were slices of luck, sure, but batters must make the most of those opportunities, and Elgar certainly managed that throughout his stay at the crease. 

Better known as a gritty operator who can make batting look much harder than it really is, this innings is one that has been filled with smooth shot-making, particularly his driving through the cover region and down the ground. 

In that regard, he has been quick to pounce when India’s bowlers missed their mark, something they did often in the afternoon session in which much of their execution and planning were very poor. 

It was a surprise they started with debutant Krishna Prasidh and Shardul Thakur after lunch, when Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj had produced two fiery new-ball spells before the interval. Prasidh and Thakur were too wayward, and Elgar was happy to help himself when the wide half-volleys and short balls came his way. 

He and Tony de Zorzi shared a crucial partnership of 93 for the second wicket, grabbing the initiative from India, who grew in frustration at their own charity, while the good balls they did bowl beat the outside edge.

It took 34 minutes for Rohit Sharma to introduce Bumrah after lunch, and in the third over of that spell he gained reward, finding the outside edge of De Zorzi’s bat, with Yashasvi Jaiswal taking an easy catch at third slip.

De Zorzi fought hard for his 28 and while the score won’t please him, his role in the partnership is worthy of credit. Keegan Petersen came and went in Bumrah’s next over, playing onto his stumps while trying an ill-judged cut. 

Then came Elgar’s special moment, one he celebrated in the manner the occasion deserved.

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