Visakhapatnam: Opener Dean Elgar said he may have made his best hundred for South Africa on Friday in the first Test against India here and credited county cricket, including his battles with R Ashwin there, for making him a better batsman against quality spin.
Elgar made 160 off 287 balls, leading South Africa’s fightback on day three here. “Any three-figure mark for South Africa is a massive moment for me. It’s always an emotional time. A lot of hard graft has happened in the previous series where you have failed. You look back and you realise that it’s very special. Even in the trying conditions that we have, we have not experienced heat like this back home,” Elgar said at the press conference after the day’s play. “The wicket obviously wears down quite quickly. I’d like to think it may be my best hundred I have had for South Africa, especially playing against the prowess of India and to show them that last time was a little bit easier but this time it is not going to be a pushover,” said Elgar. Elgar was among the South African batsmen who had a disastrous tour of India four years ago. Elgar and Quinton de Kock (111 off 163 balls) put their team back in the game with memorable knocks. (PTI)
