AUS vs SA: Dean Elgar backs Keshav Maharaj for Sydney Test

Keshav Maharaj during nets in Australia

South Africa will look to play for pride in the third and final Test starting tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Australia, trailing the series 0-2. 

The Proteas' batting has come under fire for their poor performances in the last year, where collectively they failed to cross the 200-run mark in six straight innings and went on to lose five consecutive Tests. 

However, skipper Dean Elgar has ruled out playing an extra batter in the Sydney Test and backed bowling all-rounder Keshav Maharaj. 

Maharaj, who became the first South African spinner to pick up 150 Test scalps, is wicketless in the ongoing series so far across two encounters.

As per PerthNow, Elgar has called for his batters to rise to the challenge and walk the talk. 

"To play seven batters would be a massive ask for our bowling unit. Workload has been quite hectic on our fast bowlers of late, especially in the last Test. So to expect them to come into a Test and to have potentially only three seamers is quite a big ask.

"Kesh is still our No.1 spinner going forward. He's definitely deserved that position," Elgar said on the eve of the New Year's Test.

Team management might be tempted to play off-spinner Simon Harmer, given how the pitch in Sydney is likely to resemble subcontinental behaviour.

Also Read: It's gone way better than expected: Jansen reflects on his debut year