South Africa captain Dean Elgar was at his very best as the South African team chased a 240-run target to equalise the three-match Test series 1-1. The Proteas skipper's stunning unbeaten knock of 96 helped his team earn a victory in the Johannesburg Test.
However, it was Dean’s father Richard Elgar who received the spotlight after he shared a message given by his son a day before the win.
Dean had this to say when he spoke to his father on Wednesday (January 5).
“Dad! I will be there till the end of the game tomorrow. If they want to get me out, they would have to break something in my body to drag me out of there. They are not going to get me by hitting me on the body. No way in hell.”
Dean's father saw the hunger and desire in his son and had utmost belief that his son would guide the team to win.
An anecdote
Richard on Thursday morning spoke to Dean's mother and had the following to say as the target seemed more achievable.
“You know what, they are not going to get him out today.’ I could see that he was in the zone – so focused, so intense in his bubble, that he didn’t even know what was going on around him. I could see it. She said ‘but 100 runs are there’, and I went, ‘doesn’t matter. Dean and others are going to do it.”
The proud father also shared a small but interesting anecdote with Dean's coach Louis Klopper,
“I had gone to the school where Louis was overseeing the cricket nets. Dean was knocking about. And Louis came over to tell me, ‘your son is going to play for South Africa and score thousands of runs.’ I didn’t know how to react then but his words have come true. Also, when Dean was 9, Louis told me that when Dean plays for South Africa at Lord’s, both of us will go there,” Richard told.
Cape Town Test is the decider
Dean has so far made his parents and his coach proud but more importantly the skipper has kept South Africa's hopes of winning the Test series alive with his terrific knock. Although he missed out on a hundred, his efforts though didn't go unnoticed. The hosts did enough in the second Test match to overcome the odds as both teams now look forward to the decider in Cape Town.
India are set to miss the services of Mohammed Siraj for the final Test but will be hopeful about skipper Virat Kohli's return to the squad. The Indian Test team skipper missed the second Test due to fitness issues as KL Rahul took charge of the team.
The third Test is scheduled to start on Tuesday (January 11).
