South African opener Dean Elgar scored his 14th Test ton and his second against India to put his team in a commanding position on day 2 of the first Test in Centurion. Playing his penultimate Test match at his home ground, Elgar scored a brilliant ton in testing conditions in Centurion.
Earlier in the day, India were bowled out for 245 after resuming on their overnight score of 208/8. KL Rahul scored his eighth Test ton and added 37 runs to the Indian total. Rahul added 47 runs with Mohammed Siraj (5) which frustrated the Proteas bowlers. Nandre Burger dismissed Rahul immediately after he reached his eighth Test ton.
South Africa then walked out to bat with Dean Elgar opening the batting in his penultimate Test match at his home ground. He played with a particularly attacking approach as the hosts kept losing wickets at the other end. Elgar has a good record against India in Test matches and the southpaw went on to score his second Test ton against the Men in Blue and his 14th overall.
Elgar reached his century with a boundary with the team scoring 166 in the first ball of the 43 over of the South African innings. The southpaw pulled Shardul Thakur over deep mid-wicket to reach the three-figure mark.
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There was a sense of satisfaction in the roar that came from Elgar who has been the torchbearer of South Africa’s Test batting in the last decade. Given that he is playing the last four of his Test innings, Elgar was very definitive and selective with his stroke play.
— Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (@Hanji_CricDekho) December 27, 2023
He was also very aggressive with his footwork throughout the innings. The southpaw was looking to score off the bad balls. His 93-run stand set the stage for South Africa’s comeback and then after South Africa lost two quick wickets, he yet again added an 81-run stand with David Bedingham who was unbeaten on 32 as South Africa reached 194/3 at Tea in 49 overs on day 2.
Meanwhile, the southpaw etched a few records en route to his 14th Test ton. He became only the third South Africa opener after Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs to hit a Test hundred against India at home.
Test Hundreds For Openers Against India At Home, Dean Elgar Joins Elite List
Herschelle Gibbs – 2 in 2001 (107 and 196)
Gary Kirsten – 103 in 1997
Dean Elgar – 100* in 2023
Elgar also became the first South African batter to score a Test ton against India in South Africa after 9 long years. South Africa trail by just 51 runs and post lunch they will look to get over that possibility and lead India by 100 runs by the end of the day’s play.
The South African batter will retire from Test cricket after the end of the second Test in Cape Town from January 3-7. After the current innings, he will have three more innings remaining to leave a lasting legacy on South African cricket.
