Africa-Press – South-Africa. Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar expressed confidence in himself in terms of taking the Test team forward despite their recent adverse results in the longest format.
The Proteas may have drawn the third Test against Australia in Sydney on Sunday, but they still lost the series 2-0 after comprehensive defeats in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Elgar had a poor tour with the bat, with the Australian pacers finding different ways of strangling the ungainly southpaw down the leg side.
Elgar admitted that the pressure was going to be an issue, especially with his lack of runs, but he added that he enjoyed the pressure.
Elgar averaged less than 10 in the series, but the Proteas had the small consolation of crossing 200 in two consecutive innings.
“I do,” Elgar said at the post-match press conference on Sunday when asked if he still had the hunger to take the team forward.
“The pressure will be off a little bit, but I enjoy the pressure. If the scoring of runs was happening now, it would be easy to say yes.
“However, you have to go into a different phase of yourself to ask those questions, which I have. I think I still definitely have the hunger and drive.”
Elgar won’t be part of the SA20, which starts this week, but made it clear he’ll be taking as much time away from the game as possible.
The Four-Day series resumes on 12 February after the SA20 and the ODI engagements against England in Mangaung and Kimberley.
Elgar said he was going to use the red-ball break to get away from the game entirely and go back to his work in February.
“I’m taking as much time off because that’s what I need at the moment,” Elgar said.
“There will be a time at the end of January when I’ll get back to playing again because there will be games in February where we’ll be playing four-day cricket again.
“There have been a few conversations between me and the batting coaches to do extra work, but now, I just want to get on a plane and get home, chill out a bit and have a braai.
“We’ve got two games [against the West Indies in February/March] and potentially a lot of time off for myself, and potentially some county cricket.”
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