(WATCH) Virat Kohli shows respect and hugs Dean Elgar along with other players after his dismissal in Final Innings.
South African captain Dean Elgar received a heartfelt ovation from both Proteas and Indian players as he made his way back to the pavilion following his dismissal in the second innings on Wednesday at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town during Day 1 of the second Test.
In a poignant moment, Elgar, who had earlier announced that this series would mark his retirement, was accorded the respect he rightly deserved by the Indian team. Prominent Indian players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, among others, extended their congratulations to the 36-year-old after he was dismissed for 12 runs by Mukesh Kumar in his final appearance for the Proteas.
Kohli, who took the catch to dismiss Elgar, urged both teams and the spectators to acknowledge the South African batsman for his significant contributions to the sport.
In a touching gesture, Elgar expressed his gratitude by waving his bat as he walked back to the dugout. Both the Indian and South African pavilions, along with an enthusiastic crowd, stood on their feet, recognizing the left-hander’s valuable services to the country’s cricket team.
South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the second Test, but their innings was cut short by the Indian bowling attack, led by Mohammed Siraj, who secured a six-wicket haul as the Proteas were bundled out for just 55 runs in the first innings.
India responded with a score of 153, taking a 98-run lead before being dismissed by the home team. Kohli emerged as the top scorer for the visitors with 46 runs, supported by Rohit’s 39 runs and Shubman Gill’s contribution of 36 runs.
In the second innings, India made an early breakthrough by dismissing Elgar, and pacer Mukesh struck again to send Tony de Zorzi back to the pavilion after scoring just a single run. Jasprit Bumrah continued the momentum by dismissing Tristan Stubbs, who had also fallen victim to him in the first innings. As a result, South Africa found themselves in a precarious position at 50 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the second innings.