England v/s South Africa: Dean Elgar’s Proteas hope to try and make a dent against hosts at Lord’s
South Africa will seek to exploit any weaknesses England may display when they go into the opening test at Lord’s under a new captain and with some injury concerns, the tourists’ stand-in skipper Dean Elgar has said.
South Africa are themselves missing regular captain Faf du Plessis, who has opted out of the first match of the four-test series due to family reasons, leading batsman AB de Villiers and pace spearhead Dale Steyn.
Thursday’s match will be Joe Root’s coronation as England’s new test captain, while the hosts are missing injured pace duo Chris Woakes and Jake Ball.
England’s experienced pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad are also returning to the side after injury-forced absences.
“New leadership, a few new faces in their batting line-up, a few injury concerns,” Elgar told reporters.
“Sitting here as a South African player I see it as a good opportunity for us to try and make a dent. They have their own insecurities within their team. They’re under new leadership and everyone is asking Root what his captaincy is going to be like.”
The Proteas, ranked number two in tests, have won their last two series in England and also won in Australia in their last visit Down Under.
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