Exclusive: Dean Elgar Tips India to Hammer South Africa 2-0 in ‘Toughest Place to Win’

Former Proteas captain Dean Elgar believes the Proteas and India Test squads are evenly matched but predicts a 2-0 series victory for India based on home-ground advantage in the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa in Kolkata and Guwahati.

Series Prediction

The last time South Africa won a Test series in India was well over two decades ago. This goes to show the dominance and ruthlessness of the Indian Test team over South Africa in Indian conditions.

Having tasted two Test series in India, losing both matches, Elgar understands how good India is at home. As a result, the former Proteas Test skipper reckons India will walk away with a series sweep.

“I’m going to say India will win 2-0. I'm just saying that purely because of the home ground advantage for them. I look at their bowlers that they still have, they've still got some seriously class bowlers,” Elgar told SportsBoom.co.za.

“I think just purely based on that, I'm sitting on the fence here as a neutral, I would still think India would be the team and the favourites to win it. I could be proven wrong, but hopefully I'm proven wrong. But it's going to be hard work to win two tests or one test in India now.”

On Paper

On paper, Elgar believes the two teams are evenly matched. India has lost Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane recently.

In the Proteas camp, the likes of Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, Elgar and AB de Villiers have since retired, leaving the two teams filled with relatively inexperienced players.

“If you put both teams on paper and you put the papers next to each other, I'd say it's pretty evenly balanced. On the Indian side, there's no one really there that's screaming out. Maybe Ravindra Jadeja, for instance, but he's been around the block and he's an all-rounder. So, obviously, they'll be weighing heavily on him to perform,” said Elgar.

“There's no one really that's jumping out at you like a Rohit Sharma, like a Virat Kohli, like an Ashwin, where they had five or six guys that if you look at the paper, you're like, oh wow, okay, we're going to have to really be on it here."

“But in saying that, these guys, they're all playing test cricket for the country, and they're there for a reason. They're there to prove a point as well."

“The Indian players want to nail down their positions in their team because obviously they've been a little bit all over the show with selection over the last while just to find those guys, to fill the gaps of Kohli and the Rohits and the Ashwins because those guys leave such a big void. So those Indian players will be gagging to solidify their positions."

“They are by no means pushovers, but if you look at the two teams on paper, I'd say it's pretty evenly matched, but just purely because India and India is always going to be extremely tough to beat, you're going to have to say India's still going to be the favourites, only purely because of the home ground advantage."

“But again, it does lead up to quite an exciting test series. Unfortunately, only two tests, which is a little bit of a bitter pill for a lot of people who follow test cricket.

“Really like to see two powerhouse test nations playing at least three, maybe four tests. Two matches, it's a bit stale if you go one all, for instance, or you have two draws. It's not nice."

“But I think it’s even stevens on paper, but obviously India are the outright favourites for the series.”

The Occasion

Elgar reiterated that the two sides will get excited because of the sheer size of the Test series against two powerhouses in world cricket.

Elgar reckons that the team that stays focused longer will be the victor.

“There's always that excitement that you create when you start a series, especially playing away. It doesn't matter who you're playing against, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, you want to beat them away from home. That's ultimately one of the players' greatest successes as a team is to win an away series,” said Elgar.

“People almost expect you to win your home series. So, that's why winning an away series is so exciting. It's going to be hard work, no doubt. The challenges are there. Run towards the challenges. Don't shy away from them because the pressure is not going to stop because of who you're playing against. It's only going to get tougher.”