Proteas openers Elgar and Markram dominate first session

South Africa’s openers Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram dominated the opening session of the first Test against the West Indies at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday, reaching 97/0 at lunch.

It was an easy morning for the restored opening duo, playing together at the top of the order for the first time since the India series more than a year, against bowling that too often looked uninterested.

Conditions were certainly suitable, with bright sunshine and an easy-paced pitch allowing both Elgar, who hasn’t batted in six weeks, and Markram to settle in and go about their work.

At lunch, Elgar had reached his first half-century in nearly a year, on 53 not out, having struck eight fours, while Markam was on 42.

But for one play and miss by Markram against Alzarri Joseph and a dropped catch by Roston Chase at third slip when Elgar had 10, it was a largely untroubled start for the Proteas.

Elgar occasionally lost his shape attempting some expansive strokes but those times were few and far between and the West Indies bowlers lacked the consistency to probe any tension the former Proteas skipper may have felt.

Markram had provided early impetus with some lovely driving, the most eye-catching of which was a hit through square cover off Shannon Gabriel. Elgar who faced the majority of the bowling, gradually got into his work, finding his favourite areas square of the wicket on the offside, while there was also one lovely cover drive.

That miss on 10 by Chase in the eighth over off Kyle Mayers, was one the fielder should have held. Elgar drove wildly, the edge flying to third slip, where Chase strangely deflected the ball up, even providing a briefing moment where the gully fielder Jermaine Blackwood thought he was in with an opportunity.

The rest of the time, with the exception of Jason Holder, the rest of the West Indies attack offered freebies in every over allowing the Proteas to score at a comfortable 3.53 an over.

It’s not exactly ‘Bazball’ but given the concern over the batting, it was an excellent foundation. Temperatures will only rise in the afternoon, and with the pitch likely to flatten, there’ll be plenty of opportunity for the Proteas batters to build confidence against a limp attack.