SA vs AUS 2018: Spinners to have an impact in the series, says Dean Elgar

The four Test match series starts from March 1.

Elgar reckons Maharaj will be key for South Africa. (Getty)

The much-anticipated Test match series between South Africa and Australia will start from March 1. Both teams are coming from victorious Test series campaigns. While South Africa won a Test series against India, Australia won the Ashes the last time they wore whites. 

South Africa’s opening batsman Dean Elgar believes the spinners could prove decisive in their home series against Australia, which been hyped as potentially a  battle between the two high profile pace attacks. 

South African frontline spinner Keshav Maharaj is the sole spinner for the Proteas in the Test series. Maharaj was a part of the South African Test squad against India and Elgar feels he will be important against Australia as well. Elgar says Maharaj could be a matchwinner in the four-Test contest that begins on Thursday.

“I think against Australia you potentially need to slow the game down, which they probably aren’t used to. So a guy like Keshav has played well against them in the past, so he’ll play a big part in the series,” Elgar told a news conference on Tuesday. 

“I think either way the spinners are going to have an influence in the Tests, even if it’s holding up an end or trying to be attacking, which some surfaces might allow.It is a bit of a battle of the seamers, but there is a world-class spinner in both sides, so it’s going to be exciting Test cricket.”

Australia have their very own Nathan Lyon who will play a huge role in the Test series. Australia are going into the Test series with a pace-heavy attack and have Nathan Lyon as their sole specialist spinner for the series. 

“Our previous encounter is a fond memory for us,” Elgar said of that win in Australia.Having the ability to beat them in Australia is an encouraging factor, knowing that the last time we played against each other we had the upper hand.”

Australia have not lost a series in South Africa since 1970 and have been buoyed by their Ashes series win against England, while the home team have beaten Australia in Australia in three consecutive series,  the last of which was a 2-1 win in November 2016. 

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 28 Feb, 2018

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