Proteas opening batsman Dean Elgar did not mind ending the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan with bruises to his body because they won the match to take a 1-0 lead in this three match series.
Proteas opening batsman Dean Elgar did not mind ending the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan with bruises to his body because they won the match to take a 1-0 lead in this three match series.
Elgar scored a hard fought half century in the second innings to help South Africa to a six wickets win but he was constantly tested by Pakistani quicks in the form of Mohammad Amir‚ Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali on a pitch that proved to be difficult to bat on.
“I guess the body blows are what make this job satisfying‚ when you have gone through the tough times and you look back and enjoy them. The beer taste a lot better‚ I can tell you that‚” he said.
“We just had to wait and see how the wicket played but I have been hit on the body many times. It is never pleasant but the guys in the dressing appreciate the hard work and that makes it to heal quite easier. It is always nice to ice it with a cold beer after the game.”
“Experience helps us‚ we know that if we hang in there they will start coming into our strengths and we will ultimately capitalise on some lose deliveries and it actually happened. We had to leave the ball and defend well. Each player has his own characteristics but the goal of the team is the same.”
The Proteas were set a below par target of 149 to win the match and Elgar admitted that chasing a below such a score made it difficult for them on the SuperSport Park pitch that assisted fast bowlers.
“It could have gone either way‚ fortune was obviously on our side. We mentioned on day two that we wanted luck to go our way in this match because there was a lot of favour for the bowlers. As a batting unit we needed something to go our way. Chasing an iffy score of 149 is always something that is going to be a challenge but luckily we had a few things that went our way and that’s what we needed.”
In the first innings‚ Elgar claimed the wicket that earned Dale Steyn his status as South Africa’s most successful fast bowler to overtake Shaun Pollock and said it could not have happened to a nicer guy.
“I was just happy that that the monkey is off his back. It has been two years of waiting and it could not have happened to a good person. I have been with him in the change room for a while now and he is one guys who will want to brush it off as not significant but we know the importance of what he has achieved.”
Elgar doesn’t mind the bruises if Proteas wins Test matches
Proteas opening batsman Dean Elgar did not mind ending the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan with bruises to his body because they won the match to take a 1-0 lead in this three match series.
Proteas opening batsman Dean Elgar did not mind ending the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan with bruises to his body because they won the match to take a 1-0 lead in this three match series.
Elgar scored a hard fought half century in the second innings to help South Africa to a six wickets win but he was constantly tested by Pakistani quicks in the form of Mohammad Amir‚ Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali on a pitch that proved to be difficult to bat on.
“I guess the body blows are what make this job satisfying‚ when you have gone through the tough times and you look back and enjoy them. The beer taste a lot better‚ I can tell you that‚” he said.
“We just had to wait and see how the wicket played but I have been hit on the body many times. It is never pleasant but the guys in the dressing appreciate the hard work and that makes it to heal quite easier. It is always nice to ice it with a cold beer after the game.”
“Experience helps us‚ we know that if we hang in there they will start coming into our strengths and we will ultimately capitalise on some lose deliveries and it actually happened. We had to leave the ball and defend well. Each player has his own characteristics but the goal of the team is the same.”
The Proteas were set a below par target of 149 to win the match and Elgar admitted that chasing a below such a score made it difficult for them on the SuperSport Park pitch that assisted fast bowlers.
“It could have gone either way‚ fortune was obviously on our side. We mentioned on day two that we wanted luck to go our way in this match because there was a lot of favour for the bowlers. As a batting unit we needed something to go our way. Chasing an iffy score of 149 is always something that is going to be a challenge but luckily we had a few things that went our way and that’s what we needed.”
In the first innings‚ Elgar claimed the wicket that earned Dale Steyn his status as South Africa’s most successful fast bowler to overtake Shaun Pollock and said it could not have happened to a nicer guy.
“I was just happy that that the monkey is off his back. It has been two years of waiting and it could not have happened to a good person. I have been with him in the change room for a while now and he is one guys who will want to brush it off as not significant but we know the importance of what he has achieved.”