The Sunday Mail
The start of a cricket series on Boxing Day brings with it grand traditions that set the scene for the international season to come.
South Africa against India in Pretoria will be no different as one of the most anticipated tours in years roars to life against a backdrop of hope and expectation
For Proteas skipper Dean Elgar, he believes that his side holds the edge in the upcoming three Tests against India by virtue of playing on home conditions, even though they are “wary” of how well India have fared in overseas conditions recently to be the number one-ranked Test team in the world.
“I think it’s pretty even-stevens.
“Playing at home, obviously, gives us a little bit of an upper hand,” Elgar said on the eve of the Boxing Day Test in Centurion.
“They are ranked number one in the world; we can’t not look at that.
“That’s something they have been for quite some time, in my opinion — just my being a cricket watcher and a cricket fan.
“You have to give them the credit for what they have done over the last while.
“I am not going to sit here and say they are not the best side in the world because there is a ranking system for a reason.
“But the mere fact that we are playing in our backyard gives us still the upper hand going into the series.”
India’s 2-1 Test series victory on Australian shores earlier this year was key to propelling them into the inaugural World Test Championship final, where they finished runners-up to New Zealand.
Hot on the heels of the title clash came the assignment against hosts England, which India dictated with a 2-1 scoreline before concerns around Covid-19 reduced the five-match Test assignment to four, with the fifth fixture postponed until 2022.
On both tours, India’s bowling attack, their pace contingent in particular, underpinned the majority of their dominance.
With them expected to stick to their five-bowler make-up in South Africa, Elgar admitted the visitors’ attack posed the home team the most potent challenge in conditions typically conducive to speed, movement and carry.
“Their strength at the moment lies in their bowling,” Elgar said.
“We are extremely aware of that as well. They have had a lot of successes as a bowling unit. They have got a lot of older spearhead bowlers that lead the attack and have got a good backup set of bowlers as well.
“And being in South Africa, I am pretty sure their bowling attack will exploit the conditions reasonably well,” he said. Despite their triumphant showings in overseas conditions in the recent past, with their resurgence in the longest format having its roots in their victory in Johannesburg four years ago in a 1-2 loss to South Africa, that India are yet to clinch a Test series in the country could, Elgar said, enthuse Virat Kohli’s team to go for the jugular.
“It (India having success in Australia and England) is something we are obviously wary of.
“They have improved a lot with regards to their travelling record,” Elgar said.
“I know Virat Kohli has emphasised on that and we are extremely mindful of that.
“They have set themselves that standard, and I am sure they are going to try and fulfill it within this series.
“And as much as I have the power of being the leader of this team, I am going to try and prevent them from fulfilling that role or that dream of theirs.
“Either way it’s going to be an extremely exciting Test series.” — Cricinfo.
