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Australia's charm offensive in the fourth Test won't last, warns South Africa's Dean Elgar


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South Africa opener Dean Elgar has questioned whether Australia can continue their charm offensive, noting "nice guys come second" and verbal spats are "human nature".

 

The tourists, reeling from the cheating scandal and a public backlash over their conduct that prompted Cricket Australia to launch a formal review, have changed tack in Johannesburg.

 

Elgar, more used to swapping barbs with the Proteas' fierce rivals, described the visitors' new approach as "odd".

 

"I've played quite a few Tests against Australia and it's definitely been the most docile Test," Elgar said.

 

"I don't think it's going to last very long.

 

"You need to have a tenacious approach in Test cricket. Nice guys come second, that's my saying.

 

"You've got to have an element of proper fight.

 

"Sooner or later, if your bowlers are clocking massive overs and biting their tongue, they will unleash something. There are a lot of frustrations over the course of five days."

 

Cricket Australia board member Mark Taylor floated the idea of a formal sledging ban on Sunday, with the governing body desperate to clean up the national team's image.

Elgar had no issues with Australia's verbals in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

"It's only human nature for guys to potentially say words to each other, but that's fine as long as it's not personal and it just has a competitive edge, I am OK with that," he said.

"It's never nice being called nasty things on the field (but) I don't mind that.

"It gets me going, so I will use that to my advantage."

Elgar has enjoyed a productive series against Australia, scoring 333 runs and contributing one of South Africa's five centuries.

 

However, Nathan Lyon has dismissed him on four occasions.

"It's a battle between two guys who are highly competitive. He has had the edge over me, but I know he has also bowled a hell of a lot of balls at me and I've frustrated him," Elgar said.

"He's someone I know I'll have a beer with afterwards."

Elgar also made it clear he felt sympathy for an Australian XI featuring jetlagged batsmen and jaded bowlers, with the whole team devastated by the absence of suspended trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

"It's hard ... there is definitely a sympathetic way of looking at the last few days and weeks," he said.

"They've been through quite a lot over the last two weeks."

 

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/04/03/05/52/aussies-charm-offensive-won-t-last-elgar

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