“Keegan Petersen comes into the mix,” said Proteas Test skipper, Dean Elgar, in his first press conference after being appointed full-time captain of the South African Test team, ahead of the team’s departure for the West Indies.

In addition to blooding new talent into the team, Elgar is grateful for the experienced players in the team. Quinton de Kock, who is a vital cog in the middle order, and whose batting position has been debated for a few years now, is likely to bat at 6.

“Quinny will be in his position at 5 or 6. I would think he is best suited at number 6.”

Touring the West Indies for a Test series for the first time since 2010, the South African team is largely unfamiliar with how conditions will play out over a five-day period.

“It seems like St. Lucia is quite a low and slow kind of place,” said Elgar.

To win this series, Elgar believes the team will have to prepare well and adapt to the conditions on offer.

“There will be a lot of emphasis on preparation. It’s the one thing we can control.”

In his tenure as captain, Elgar hopes to have an impact on his team’s mindset. He aspires to “change players mindsets going forward. It’s about getting that buy-in and trusting your process going forward.”

In doing that, Elgar hopes he can lead the team back to the glory days when South African batsmen were scoring hundreds and bowlers were taking fifers regularly. “I’d like to see us get back to those ways. We know that we need to go back to those characteristics.”

With the World Test Championship final scheduled to be played in June, Elgar has his sights set on leading South Africa to the final in the next two years.

“We need to play more cricket, we need to play better cricket. Our skill level hasn’t been where it should be. We want to compete and play in the final of the World Test Championship.”

To do that, Elgar believes, “There’s a way and process that you’ve got to follow. We need to get to a more consistent nature of cricket.”