Elgar and Cook set to open for Proteas

The Highveld Lions batsman was called up to the squad this week. A couple of seasons of solid performances has seen Cook verge on making his debut, but his record in the ongoing Sunfoil Series will see him play his first match for South Africa in Centurion.

With Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw released from the squad, it is a given that Cook will open the batting at Supersport Park. Selectors and fans alike will hope he continues the rich vein of form that has seen him top the batting stats in the Sunfoil Series.

Dean Elgar has spent plenty of time in the middle with Cook during their time playing for the South African A side and he is confident the 33-year-old will transition well into Test cricket.

“Cooky has been knocking on the door for a long time and I think with a lot of the domestic performances he’s put in, you can’t ignore what he has done in the past three seasons. He definitely put up his hand and he’s put a lot of pressure on the openers,” Elgar said.

Cook will be tasked with bringing some stability to the Proteas top order. Van Zyl couldn’t quite come to grips with the pressure of opening the batting for South Africa – perhaps a disservice to his skill if one looks back on his unbeaten 101 runs against West Indies on debut in 2014. In that instance he walked to the crease at number six, with far less pressure to deal with. Elgar had plenty of sympathy for the dropped Cape Cobras batsman.

“It’s unfortunate that Stiaan is the guy that gets left out. I feel for him because he was asked to fill a position that is a little bit foreign for him. But it’s not a big thing, Cooky and I have done it before – we opened for the A side a couple of years ago and we’ve opened the batting together on a few occasions. It’s an exciting time for Stephen, I know he’s been looking forward to it and a lot has been said in the media about how he’s never given up hope of playing for South Africa.”

As for the final Test, which is a no contest as England have already won the series 2-nil, a good showing will do little more than restore some pride in the Proteas camp. As for their opponents, Elgar couldn’t fault the visitors form.

“I think the English players know their game very well. Two years ago, they were in a similar position to us where they were getting a beating from Australia and other teams. Their players adapted very quickly and it seems like they know their roles very well,”  he said.

“They’ve got a lot of impact players within their side. A guy like Ben Stokes adds a huge amount with bat and ball. They’re also an experienced unit, especially with the ball in hand. If you look at their bowlers, they know their stuff. It’s not their first Test series, let’s put it that way, they’re highly skilled, focused and know what to do on the international circuit.”

England seamer Stuart Broad took the Proteas to the cleaners in the second innings of the third Test at the Wanderers. His flawless bowling dismissed six of the South African batsmen on the day – perhaps highlighting a current short fall in the Proteas armory.

There has been talk of the national side taking on a specialist batting coach and Elgar believes it would prove fruitful.

“I do think a specialist batting coach would add a lot of value. I know there have been a few guys asked to help us which came with a bit of a negative response. There would be value, especially with the young unit. Even though you’re playing for SA, you sometime do need a bit of fine-tuning from someone else who is observing from the side-lines.”

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