The final time South Africa and Australia met in a Test series, cricket followers’ cellphones have been filled with photographs of sandpaper and changeroom confrontations with the captain solely carrying a towel, however Proteas skipper Dean Elgar is hoping that this time the spiciness stays on the field and doesn’t cross the line into illegality.
The notorious “Sandpaper-gate” tour of 2017/18 was the final Test series between the two nice rivals, with South Africa profitable 3-1 as Australian captain Steven Smith and batsmen David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have been banned for his or her ball-tampering shenanigans in the third Test.
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“I have no animosity at all for any of the players or Australian cricket,” Elgar mentioned in Brisbane on Monday. “It was a tricky time for all of us and clearly they have been unhappy occasions, it was unlucky.
“We have moved ahead as a gaggle, though we want issues may have occurred in a different way as a result of there’s a wealthy historical past of cricket between us and we now have a equally aggressive nature.
“It was extraordinarily juicy out in the center, they have been attention-grabbing instances, however hopefully that has all been put to mattress. There’s all the time a little bit of spice on the field once we play Australia, however hopefully none of these antics.
“We love playing against Australia, we have heaps of respect for them, and hopefully this series will be a good spectacle,” Elgar mentioned.
Fast bowlers
With Australia having loads of depth with regards to pacemen, the series needs to be a quick bowling extravaganza.
Although he generally is a little bit of an enigma, notably in the T20 World Cup in Australia a month in the past, Kagiso Rabada remains to be South Africa’s main Test bowler. And Elgar is worked up by the fast bowlers he has to help him – Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams.
“KG’s career and repertoire speaks for itself in terms of what he can bring to the table,” Elgar mentioned. “But it’s good to have choices and all our bowlers carry one thing distinctive.
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“It’s thrilling to have uncooked tempo in the changeroom and, dealing with them in the nets, I’m glad that they’re a part of our squad. Their skillsets are up there they usually can carry the warmth as properly.
“In Australian conditions, you want a balance of skill and raw pace. You get a lot of value on these pitches if you can execute and hit the right areas,” Elgar mentioned.
South Africa start their tour with a warm-up match in opposition to a Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane from Friday to subsequent Monday.
The first Test begins at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 17.
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