Elgar and De Kock Keep Proteas Afloat

Ashwin’s craft fetches him five; Jadeja picks up 200th Test wicket

- S. Dinakar

Dean Elgar’s courage and application takes us to the heart of Test cricket. The South African opener is tough, fights as if his life depends on the innings.

In early 2018, on a volatile surface at the Wanderers, that Bullring, where the ball seamed, bounced offa length, or shot through, Elgar withstood a nasty blow on the helmet from Jasprit Bumrah to carry his bat with a blood-and-guts 86.

Contrast

And here, on the third day of the first Freedom Test on Friday, the 32-year-old South African, in his next Test innings against India, dropped anchor in the vastly different sub-continental conditions for a monumental 160. The innings oozed character.

If Elgar slugged it out, Quinton de Kock, the smooth-stroking southpaw, galloped on his skills for a 111 of exquisite strokeplay at the ACA-VDCA ground.

There were more protagonists on an incident-filled day. R. Ashwin, conjuring moments of craft and beauty, scalped five with his off-spin while left-arm Ravindra Jadeja claimed his 200th Test wicket in his 44th Test.

South Africa, 385 for eight at stumps and 117 behind India’s first innings score with two days left, has given itself a realistic chance of forcing a draw on a pitch where there is turn and some variable bounce but is by no means a minefield.

Weather will remain a factor, too, with scattered thunderstorms forecast on Saturday and Sunday.