Home conditions give SA the edge, says captain Elgar

South Africa is “wary” of India’s overseas success but home conditions provide the host the edge heading into the three-match Test series, said Proteas skipper Dean Elgar.

India had clinched a famous 2-1 win on Australian soil earlier in the year, with Virat Kohli’s men also bagging a 2-1 result in England before the fifth and final Test of the season was postponed to 2022 due to a COVID-19 outbreak. “I think that it is pretty even-steven. Playing at home, obviously, gives us a little bit of an upper hand. India is ranked No.1 in the world, so we cannot afford to not look at that. It has been there (in that spot) for quite some time,” said Elgar in the pre-game presser.

“We have to give it (India) the credit for what it has done over the last few years. I am not going to say that India is not the best side in the world, because the ranking system is there for a reason. But, the fact that we are playing in our backyard still gives us the upper hand going into the series,” Elgar went on to add.

A major portion of India’s overseas success in recent years could be attributed to its fast-bowling attack and Elgar said that the visitor would exploit the South African conditions, which are known to offer pace and bounce.

“At the moment, its (India’s) strength lies in bowling. We are extremely aware of that. India has had a lot of success as a bowling unit. It has got some older bowlers who spearhead the unit and a good back-up set,” said Elgar.