A consolation victory is all the South African can expect now, but a win will also keep him alive to seek a spot at that WTC event later this year.
South Africa captain Dean Elgar is proud and still likely to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final after a disastrous series defeat in the third and final Test. He said it will be two key elements towards recovery. It starts here on Wednesday.
The SCG clash is a dead rubber as the hosts won the first two games of the series in Brisbane and Melbourne.
All the South African can hope for now is a consolation win, but a win will also keep him alive for a spot at that WTC event later this year.
The Elgars are currently in his fourth place behind Australia, India and Sri Lanka, and his side’s victory at home in Sydney guarantees them a place in the final. “There’s a lot to play,” the Proteas skipper told the media before the game.
“We play with pride, we play for the possibility of a WTC Final, so we have a lot to play with.
“It’s a big encouragement for us and for me you play every friendly like it’s the last one. I hope we can give you a better spectacle this time. We always have a good test.” I want to play cricket and be a hindrance in the competition, but I hope to do well again this time.” With a few exceptions like Kyle Verreynne and Temba Bavuma, Elgar believes hitters need to do better in this game.
Theunis de Bruyn will miss the game on his father’s paternity leave. That means at least he has one change in the lineup.
“You can’t hide in Test cricket and the top five obviously have to find ways to address and deny the demands of batting discipline in Test cricket,” Elgar explained.
“I think Kyle did a great job advocating for us as a six-year-old, and I don’t think it’s fair to say that moving him will help us or him at all.
“According to the composition of the team, I think these two [Lassie van der Düssen and Heinrich Klaasen] are our only options to beat. “Lassie has quite a bit of test-level experience and he can bring a lot to the role. We will make those decisions this afternoon.”
The captain was also asked if he had changed his mind about playing extra batsmen instead of the front-line bowlers.
“I’m still thinking 6-5, but all options are on our table. It is a big requirement to clearly cover the “Recently, the workload has been pretty hectic for our fast bowlers, especially in the last test where we really bowled some numbers in terms of overs. Expecting there to be only three seers is a pretty big request for them.
“But we have options. We’ll make a decision by tonight,” Elgar concluded.