India would have to break something in my body to drag me out of there
A day after his son's heroic match-winning unbeaten 96, a significant knock not just in terms of the ongoing series but also for the game in South Africa, Dean Elgar's father shares the emotions his family went through while watching riveting Wanderer Test. He recalls the early days of the stubborn tough-as-nails opener who never took a step back and even if that meant smashing the large tropical fish tank in his living room.
When we spoke briefly on Wednesday night, Dean said to me, 'Dad! I'll be there till the end of the game tomorrow. If they want to kick me out, something has to break in my body to pull me out of there. They are not going to get me by hitting me on the body. No way in hell. ' When I heard him say this, I knew he had been charged and thought he would.
In the morning when the target fell below 100, I said to my wife, 'You know, they're not going to kick him out today.' I could see that he was in the zone - so focused, so bubbled up in himself, that he didn't even know what was happening around him. I could see it. He said 'but there are 100 runs', and I went, 'Never mind. Dean and others are going to do it.'
Only Dean Elgar can play a knock like that!
— OneCricket (@OneCricketApp) January 6, 2022
He ensures that South Africa ended on the winning side this time at Jo'burg!
Skipper's 96*(188) helps SA win by 7 wickets and square the series!#SAvIND #INDvSA #Bumrah #Siraj #Captaincy #Virat #Shardul #Bavumapic.twitter.com/Xumlf8fhdI
When Dean plays the ball with his pad, then I know all is well. It's a little weird but somehow tells me he's focused, his balance is fine, and he's going to be fine. In the third over of the day, he (Jasprit) jumped off Bumrah's legs twice. I knew he was in.
It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up💪
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 7, 2022
Catch the full highlights right here ➡️ https://t.co/jVZ2TXmdRr#SAvIND #FreedomTestSeries #BetwayTestSeries #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/E5IbV3vhhw
Do I get worried when he encounters those body-shaking bouts? Not necessary. Because I have seen him do this in school also in childhood. It's weird or whatever, but somehow it never distracted him. I knew from then on that he was strict. Whenever he hit, he would become more determined. Be more stubborn. Even as a boy, no wonder he does it now. I also played football and was the captain. So, the strikes don't distract me. Seeing my wife is under pressure!
Watching Dean Elgar bat South Africa to victory was undoubtedly the best bit of cricket in the last three years here.
— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) January 7, 2022
He joked that he didn’t want “just another article” on getting hit so this is that, and a bit more.#SAvIND https://t.co/HoZlHLYcpQ
I remember when Dean was just 5 years old and used to play in this big backyard of a friend of his brother, who is six years older than Dean. Two senior boys would bowl to him at high speed and the five-year-old Dean would look at me and say, 'Don't worry dad, they won't get me out.' He was very stubborn. The only thing is, if he gets out, he will want to bat one more time as he was much younger than him!
— Addicric (@addicric) January 6, 2022
There was a moment at the end of the game when he found something happening to one or two Indian players. He even told umpire Marias Erasmus that "I'm not going to stand there and do anything!" Hearing this, I smiled. He could also have said about chasing that line that morning- to get 122 runs, I'm not going to stand there and do nothing!
If his mind is fixed on something, it will not change. So glad he did what he set out to do. How disastrous it would have been for him to leave without doing any work. This is a very important victory for the team. We all saw how rusty the bowling was in the first Test. It was also said where the runs were going to come from in this inexperienced line-up and then they also lost Quincy (Quinton de Kock). Had he lost this Test, things could have been away from him for a while. Now there is not only hope, but also real faith. As a parent, I am extremely proud that Dean is at the forefront of doing his best for the team.
The dream of playing professional cricket started so early in his life that when I look back, I am quite surprised. I remember when he was in primary school he used to tell me that he was going to play sports for the rest of his life. Not only me, teachers too. The principal of his elementary school called him one day to tell him it was better to start working harder with class work and studies, and this little boy says, "I'm here to play cricket!" . She couldn't believe what she heard and told me about it years later, and we had a good laugh. As he grew up, he was also a very good squash player – among the top ten in the country in his age group – and had to pick a sport. He chose cricket.
His coach Louis Klopper was a good friend of mine and I remember this one day very clearly. I went to the school where Louis was watching cricket nets. Dean was knocking. And Louis came to tell me, 'Your son will play for South Africa and score a thousand runs.' I didn't know how to react then but it turned out to be true. Also, when Dean was 9, Louis told me that when Dean played for South Africa at Lord's, we would both go there. There was no doubt, nothing. A sporting life is what he wanted for himself, and that was what convinced those around him that he could have it. And so, it was a very emotional moment for Louis and me when, years later, Dean played at Lord's - he also captained that game in Faf du Plessis's absence - and we both went to see that game. We took a picture in the outfield. Happy time.
Dean was always a leader, captain in cricket or in squash in his school. So that that part of his personality remains forever. When he got the captaincy now the only thing I told him was 'Dean, you should be who you are. Do not change. That would be silly. Respect comes when you lead from the front - discipline on and off the field. Treat everyone well the way you want to be treated.
A captain’s knock in every sense#SAvIND #FreedomTestSeries #BetwayTestSeries #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/j5QSk1DZx8
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 7, 2022
We saw what he said about Keiji (Kagiso) Rabada after the game. If he sees that no one is gaining weight or moving in, he will speak. Like his previous coaches and captains used to talk about him. There is no crime if you have faith and respect. Dean isn't afraid to sit down with a player, no matter who, if he's not trying his best.
Being the captain of South Africa is probably the toughest cricket captaincy job in terms of man-management. So many castes, religions, languages and we are at a very sensitive stage in the development of an inclusive society. Wounds have to be healed. The country has to grow together. Every dean I know is aware of his position - he sees captaincy as a privilege. I know he talks heart to heart with other players, has learned from them, spoken his mind, and is a hard unit. He went to a multi-racial school. So, he moved in with people from different backgrounds than as a child. So this is nothing new for him. He knows where the pitfalls are; It's about avoiding them.
He has talked about how he has found a way to handle the relationship between himself and the South African fans. Whether he gets more love from fans now, it will be interesting but knowing him, doesn't affect his performance. If anything, he has used it as inspiration. But more importantly, his players and coaches respect and love him. They know what they're going to get from that: 100 percent commitment.
We don't talk much about cricket in the house when he comes. He likes to be in game reserves, in the wild, or play golf, and we usually talk about such things. He manages life well when he is not playing cricket. I am not surprised that he has proved to be a successful player. And he's done well, because that's all he wanted to do since childhood.
I remember one afternoon at home. He asked his brother to come out and throw some balls. When I refused, I heard a loud bang. I ran inside Dean had picked up a tennis racket and threw it at his brother, who was swept away. The racket crashed through the large tropical fish tank I had - hundreds of liters of water flowing and precious tropical fish scattered on the floor. I didn't enjoy that day. Now, seeing him leading our country makes me proud and one thing I know for sure is that my stubborn son will never back down.
