Dean Elgar's commitment underlines the Proteas grit
Dean Elgar's commitment to the South African national team is beyond any doubt. The southpaw, who registered a pair on his Test debut in Adelaide close to a decade ago, has come a long way since then.
At a time when some of his contemporaries, including the likes of Stiaan Van Zyl, have chosen greener pastures abroad, Elgar has been resolute in serving his country, although his participation is limited to just one format of the game.
Almost a year ago, the South African Test team visited Pakistan after a gap of 14 years and, despite showing signs of progress, they were overwhelmed by the hosts in both the Test matches they played on the tour.
Faf du Plessis decided to call time on his Test career with better opportunities available in the shorter formats. Among the players who visited Pakistan, du Plessis and Elgar were the only ones who had enjoyed South Africa's glory days when they sat atop the ICC Test rankings.
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Following du Plessis' retirement, the tenacious left-hander stood up to take charge of his team. For a man who was ignored after his forgettable debut and who, for a long time, has been labeled as just a Test player, it was a litmus test.
Ironically, despite his consistent performances in the shorter formats in domestic cricket, Cricket South Africa only see the left-hander as a Test player.
At a time when little was expected from the South African team that was undergoing a massive transition, Dean Elgar rose above his predecessors.
Post Greame Smith's retirement, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, and Faf du Plessis have all taken charge of the Test team. However, at this point in time, it is safe to say that he has surpassed them all in terms of his resolve and his team's gritty victories.
Unbeaten record for Dean Elgar
Dean Elgar's first match as Test captain came in 2017 when Faf du Plessis took paternity leave. South Africa went on to lose that Test, played at the Lord's, before du Plessis arrived for the second game.
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However, ever since he was promoted to permanent captaincy, he has been unbeaten. His first assignment was in the West Indies, a series that South Africa dominated.
Following that, they faced the world's number one Test team, India. Despite going down 1-0, the captain's resolve and determination enabled his team to stage a heroic comeback on a challenging Bullring pitch. South Africa utilized their momentum and won the decider quite convincingly.
NZ vs SA 2nd Test: South Africa beat New Zealand by 198 runs, draw series
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Their recent tour of New Zealand was a similarly remarkable story. After suffering their worst defeat in Test cricket since 1936, South Africa came back to win the final game by a comprehensive margin of 198 runs.
What was even more impressive was Dean Elgar's decision to bat first on a greenish wicket - a surface where they were bowled out for paltry scores of 95 and 111 in the two innings, respectively, less than 10 days ago.
Boldness, grit, and determination have characterized the Protea captain since his Test debut and now, his team seems to ooze that quality as well.