'Nandre showed why he has been such a shining light for South African cricket'
In the aftermath of South Africa's convincing victory by an innings and 32 runs against India in the 1st Test on Thursday, Dean Elgar lauded debutant Nandre Burger as the 'shining light' for South African cricket.
Elgar, who is playing his farewell series, set the tone with his impressive 185 in the first innings, lifting the spirits of the Proteas and contributing to their total of 408 runs.
Speaking about Burger's impactful performance, Elgar expressed, "Good partnerships with Tony, and then Jansen showed his talent as well. You need fast bowlers and a spinner potentially to take 20 wickets, that's how we win Test matches. KG was brilliant, but then Nandre showed why he has been such a shining light for South African cricket."
Reflecting on his own magical knock and the approach he adopted on a challenging surface, Elgar shared, "Pretty special knock. Sometimes what we want to do hasn't worked out as plans, but happy that it worked today. I think you need to keep things nice and simple, the game is already pretty complex. Focus on the ball, play nice and straight. Play late and be great. You got to ride the roller when it is in your favour."
Burger, known for his lethal bouncers and precise line and length, played a pivotal role in pushing India's batters back against the wall.