Ashwin quality bowler, but SA cannot focus on just one individual, says Elgar

South Africa Test skipper Dean Elgar on Tuesda said that Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the best off-spinners India have ever produced and his side would be required to bring their A-game to tackle the ace bowler.

India and South Africa will lock horns in three Tests and three ODIs. The Boxing Day Test will begin on December 26 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. “I do not think Ravichandran Ashwin has had much success in South Africa which is okay for us. You cannot really compare to the success he has had against our batters in India because conditions are so different. We have to focus on our game plan, each player has been working on his individual game plan. It is important not to focus on just one player in their lineup,” said Elgar while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference.

“India is a good side, they tick all the boxes. Ashwin is a quality bowler, probably one of the best off-spinners India has ever produced. We will be mindful of that, it will be a challenge to compete against them,” he added.

Talking about India’s bowling attack, Elgar said: “India has an immensely improved bowling lineup. As I mentioned earlier, we will be mindful of the fact that we will be up against a very good bowling attack. Being in South Africa, we will feel a lot more accustomed to our own conditions. Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage. We know it will be tough but it will be tough for the India batters to face our attack as well.”

“I rather be sitting here than possibly sitting in the Indian dressing room knowing they have to face our bowlers,” he added.

When asked about the conditions in Centurion, Elgar said: “I hope rain stays away, there has been a lot of rain so hopefully that stays away. Centurion has been providing very good wickets. It has always been a pretty good place if you apply yourself as a batter. With the ball in hand, you can exploit the conditions if you have extra pace and bounce.” “If you apply yourself as a batter, you can score runs at Centurion. If you have some skill and you are willing to stay patient, the bowlers can also enjoy themselves at Centurion,” he added. Earlier on Tuesday, pacer Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the upcoming three-match Test series against India.