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South African skipper Dean Elgar expects more verbal blows will be traded in the series decider of the three-Test series against India at Newlands, Cape Town especially with Virat Kohli returning after recovering from upper back spasm.
"Virat brings a different dynamic to the game. I don't think I missed him. But I think potentially his team missed him, no doubt just from a captaincy point of view and maybe from a strategy point of view.
"He is a world class player and very experienced within their squad. His name speaks for itself and it's one of the more respected cricketers around so I wouldn't say I missed him... But it doesn't matter who are playing against. We as a team, we need to focus on us," Elgar told reporters in a virtual pre-match press conference.
The Wanderers Test witnessed a verbal spat between Rishabh Pant and Rassie van der Dussen which ended with the former’s wicket. Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen’s heated exchange was put on stop by the umpire after the young Proteas fast bowler bowled a barrage of short deliveries. It was followed by Mohammed Siraj saying something to skipper Elgar in the ending stages of the run chase.
The Proteas opener also feels that the third Test will be South Africa’s biggest game in last 10-15 years especially because the team is going through a transition phase.
"This test is potentially the biggest we've had in 10 years, maybe even 15 years. And I think that speaks for its own respect. Test cricket is always going to have intensity, me as a player harbouring the intensity as well. So I don't think it's going to lack intensity.
"Test cricket still demands quite a high level of intensity and you have to maintain that throughout five days. I know it's not always possible to maintain that throughout five days. But you have to be pretty consistent with regards to implementing the intensity throughout. That's why it's so important to switch off when you can switch off.
"We saw in the Wanderers the minute we brought the intensity it seemed to almost flush the Indians quite a lot. And when that can play in our favour and it would be silly for us not to try and replicate that or even bring even more intensity into the next game," said the 34-year-old.
