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Follow UsDean Elgar’s unbeaten hundred on Day 2 of the ongoing Boxing Day Test has put South Africa in front against India. Elgar, having already announced his retirement, began his final Test series on a grand note. Notching up his 14th Test ton, the opener cracked 140* off 211 balls by stumps on Day 2, at which point South Africa are 256/5, 11 runs ahead of India’s first-innings total.
It has been an atypical hundred from Elgar. Known to be a scrappy Test opener, the left-hander never looked in much trouble against the Indian attack. He has a career strike rate of 47.4 but took only 140 balls to get to the three-figure score. He has cracked 23 fours, which is already the second most number of boundaries hit by Elgar in a Test innings.
The Indian bowlers were erratic in the second session and Elgar took full toll. His wagon wheel is a testament to it with boundaries all over the park. Be it the cover drive, which has been a tough stroke to play on this pitch, or playing in the V or implementing the pull shot, the 36-year-old has adorned the whole ground with his shots. In the second session alone, Elgar smacked 73 runs off only 87 balls.
Elgar’s strike rate meant South Africa razed off a major chunk of the deficit by the Tea break on Day 2. Their run-rate was nearly 4 runs per over. He screamed in a passionate celebration for his hundred, showing what it meant to him.
This is Elgar’s second hundred against India but his first against this opposition at home. In the second innings of the Jo’burg Test against India in January 2022, Elgar was unbeaten on 96 when South Africa crossed the finish line.
This is Elgar’s 13th Test hundred as an opener, placing him at the fourth spot in terms of most Test hundred for the Proteas as an opener.
