After pulling off a 2-1 series win over India, South Africa captain Dean Elgar admitted that the DRS controversy indeed helped the hosts. The Proteas chased down a target of 212 runs at Newlands to win the third and final Test inside four days Friday. The win helped the Proteas keep their unbeaten home Test series record against India intact.
But the series finale in Cape Town witnessed its fair share of controversy after an LBW decision against Elgar off Ravichandran Ashwin was overturned after review on Day 3. Indians, led by a very animated Virat Kohli, insinuated that not everything was fair.
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The visiting captain was heard saying, "Focus on your team while they shine the ball. Not just the opposition. Trying to catch people all the time." And another one added, "It's the whole country against 11 guys". Ashwin, meanwhile, told hosts broadcasters SuperSport to "find better ways to win."
After the match, Elgar said the DRS controversy offered South Africa a "window" to have a go at the target as India "forgot about the game."
"That obviously gave us a little bit of a window period, especially yesterday (Day 3) for us to score a little bit freer and obviously, chip away at the deficit that we needed or the target that we needed," Elgar said. "It worked out well in our hands, it played nicely into our hands. For a period of time, they actually forgot about the game and they were challenging a bit more of the emotional side of what Test cricket has to offer."
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The 34-year-old also admitted that he actually "loved it," saying India were "obviously... under a little bit of pressure and things weren't going the way which they obviously were quite used to of late."
Elgar did a commendable job to lead a team in transition against a very strong Indian side that has claimed back-to-back Test series wins in Australia and won matches in England. Also, India are the ICC World Test Championship runners-up.
India, chasing their first-ever Test series win in South Africa, started the tour with a 113-run win in the first match. But the Proteas hit back with a seven-wicket win in the second match, with the skipper anchoring a chase of 240 runs.
"Losing the first game of a home Test series is never ideal. I think it's a South African trait that you always have to start slow and we almost have to be 0-1 down to actually wake up and realise that you know we were up against it and our backs against the wall and the guys responded beautifully to that," Elgar said while reflecting on their fightback.
The two teams will now meet in a three-match ODI series. The first two matches are scheduled to play on January 19 and 21 at Boland Park, Paarl, while the finale is slated for January 23 in Cape Town.
