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South African skipper Dean Elgar, despite facing dismissals of 4 and 12 in his final Test, refrained from categorizing the pitch as “bad” but acknowledged its challenging aspects.
“I cannot say that (the pitch is bad) because personally, I have had success on wickets that have gone around. My record on our wickets has been pretty good,” stated Elgar, emphasizing the fine balance needed between bat and ball.
He acknowledged the difficulty but stressed the importance of batters applying themselves mentally and adhering to disciplined game plans.
Reflecting on the varied bounce on different ends of the pitch, Elgar commented on the differences at Wynberg End and Calvin Grove End.
“There was a lot steeper bounce that way (from where Ngidi bowled). And that side, it was a little bit lower. So I do not know what to make of it,” he said, expressing uncertainty about the pitch’s behavior.
Despite managing only 55 in their first innings, Elgar commended India for putting the ball in the right areas.
“As a batter, you have to play the way Virat (Kohli), Aiden (Makram), and Rohit (Sharma) applied themselves,” he advised. Elgar highlighted the need for batters to take calculated risks and aim for rewards.
“I can’t predict what will happen on the second day,” Elgar commented, emphasizing the unpredictability of the pitch.
With South Africa reaching 62/3 at stumps on Day 1, trailing by 36 runs, the match promises more intriguing cricket. The teams will vie for control in the final Test of the series as they navigate the challenging conditions at Newlands.
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(With inputs from ANI)
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