“We’re here to win Tests and series,” said Proteas captain, Dean Elgar, ahead of the second Test between South Africa and West Indies in St. Lucia.
Determined to deliver another clinical performance, Elgar said, “Another Test win will take us further as a unit. We need Test wins and series wins. That’s the bottom line.”
Elgar cautioned against complacency because he firmly believes the West Indies are more than capable of staging a fightback. “I’ve been around long enough to know how teams bounce back when you come to their home country and they get a beating.”
Elgar is confident the pitch will be fairly similar to the strip used in the first Test match, although its behaviour may change slightly because of the rain in St. Lucia over the last few days. “Wicket does look a little bit similar. We’ve had a bit of rain around on the island the last few days. I think the wicket is maybe a little bit softer.” However, Elgar is yet to decide on the best course of action for South Africa upon winning the toss. “I have a couple of hours to make that final decision by getting a bit more information from the coaching staff and a few senior players,” said Elgar.
From a selection perspective, Temba Bavuma’s fitness is still a challenge. “There’s still the debate on Temba’s fitness. I’m not sure how that has progressed because we have an optional training session today. I think the only selection issue we have is whether he is fit for tomorrow’s Test.”