Dean Elgar, captain of the South African cricket team, saw his team home with a match-winning knock of 96 not out as South Africa downed India by seven wickets in the second test on Thursday (January 6) to level the series 1-1 and force a decider in Cape Town.
Opener Elgar batted all the way through as Proteas overhauled the target of 240 late on the rain-curtailed Day 4 at the Wanderers.
The game appeared finely balanced with both teams sensing a chance of winning ahead of South Africa’s final innings. But South Africa made the light work of India as they finished with 243/3.
Temba Bavuma was 23 not out and he and Elgar took South Africa surging to victory with a flurry of boundaries at the end. Elgar sealed it by hammering one through midwicket and to the boundary.
The match saw a host of records being made by the South African unit.
Elgar walloped an unbeaten knock of 96 off 188 balls, which is the third highest score by a captain in fourth innings in won matches against India.
Highest score by Captain in Won matches against India (4th Inng):
109* - Viv Richards (1987)
102* - Mark Taylor (1998)
96* - Dean Elgar (January 6, 2022)
240 Target chased down by South Africa in Johannesburg, the third-highest successful fourth-innings chase against India. Australia chased a 339-run target in Perth in 1977, while West Indies were successful in their pursuit of 276 in Delhi in 1987.
Highest successful Test run chases against India:
342-8 by Australia at Perth, 1977
276-5 by West Indies at Delhi, 1987
243-3 by South Africa at Johannesburg, 2022
96* Dean Elgar's score in the Johannesburg chase. Only one South Africa captain had higher scores in successful Test chases - Graeme Smith - with four hundreds. The unbeaten 96 by Elgar was also the highest Test score by a South Africa captain since Faf du Plessis' 103 against Pakistan in 2019.
It was the five consecutive Test defeats for South Africa against India before the seven-wicket win at Wanderers. India's streak of five successive wins started in Johannesburg in 2018 and ended at the very ground four years later. South Africa had not lost more than two Tests in succession to India before this streak.
It was the first time South Africa had beaten India at the Wanderers. India, who have never lost a Test defending 200 or more runs under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, had to suffer a painful defeat.
Elgar’s score of 96 is the second-best individual score by a South African captain versus India. Kepler Wessels holds the record with a best of 118 (Durban 1992/93).
