Australia is a tough environment to play cricket, says Elgar

• Dean Elgar calls chance to play Test cricket in Australia “luxury”.
• First of a three-match series between the two sides.
• South Africa have won their previous 3 Test series in Australia.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar called the chance to play in the nation “surreal” and a “luxury” on the eve of their maiden Test match against Australia at The Gabba.

The first of a three-match series between Australia and South Africa will take place on Saturday in Brisbane, with the visitors seeking to continue their impressive red-ball performance in the nation where they have won their previous three series.

“It requires a lot of bravery (to win in Australia). You need to play with winning in mind. It’s something that I’ve kind of been talking a lot about in our squad and group.”

“Australia is an extremely difficult place to play cricket, but if you can get things right, it’s also a really rewarding place to play. You must seize your opportunity, which is kind of related to Test cricket generally played across the world.”

“It is such an honour to play Test cricket in Australia, and you have to push yourself beyond what you’re used to. The tradition and history of South African cricket and Australian cricket are so deep that you really need to appreciate this moment. We are just another brilliant group that has the potential to accomplish something amazing in the future “In the press conference prior to the game, he added.

South Africa has little experience playing at the renowned Gabba; their first game there since their isolation was a tie with the hosts in 2012. Elgar, under whose leadership South Africa is now in second place in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, thinks that the lack of experience there is a good thing.

“Since we haven’t yet performed at the Gabba, I must state that we don’t have any unfinished business. Thus, as a group, we stand out as relatively new and distinctive from the surroundings. It’s okay that the history of this place is definitely not on our side.” “We have both a youthful and an experienced squad, so I believe that the fact that we haven’t failed yet may be to our advantage. Therefore, we are excited about the chance; in a way, it feels surreal to us. We’ve been here for two weeks; we’ve waited a little for this time, and we’re eager to leave.” After having a difficult time playing in challenging conditions in England earlier in the year, where they lost the series 2-1, the Proteas’ batting has been under scrutiny recently.

Elgar acknowledged it was time for the batters to step up with great performances in the series against a powerful bowling attack led by captain Pat Cummins because only he and vice-captain Temba Bavuma from the current group have previously played Tests in Australia.

“I believe that all batters must stand. It has recently become a topic of conversation regarding our batting lineup. Once more, I’ve never shied away from it, and the lads need to step up. It’s time for me to really put myself out there, make a big call, and make a big play for us.” “Despite the fact that our team is extremely skilled, they have limited Test cricket experience. But it’s all right. They enter this series without a lot of baggage once more. They just need to seize the possibilities that are presented to them because they have tremendous skill.”

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