'He knows his game inside-out' - Shane Watson heaps praises on Dean Elgar for his achievements

South African Test skipper Dean Elgar, who is very close to breaching the 5000-run mark in Test cricket, has received praise from former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for his game. Watson noted that it takes tremendous effort for an opening batsman to accumulate that many runs, especially in the game’s traditional format.

To reach 5,000 runs in Test cricket, Elgar needs 66 runs in the third and final Test against England at The Oval. Elgar made his Test debut in 2012 and has played in 78 games in the format, scoring 4,934 runs at an average of 39.15, with 13 tons and 22 fifties. Additionally, his Proteas team has a chance to top the ICC World Test Championship rankings and advance to the finals at Lord's.

“It’s a brilliant effort. For an opening batsman to score five thousand runs, it’s a great effort. There’s no question about that. He’s a tough, gritty batsman, knows his game inside-out, knows how to be really effective, and 5,000 runs — there’s not a lot of people in the history of Test cricket who have not been able to do that,” said Watson on The ICC Review show.

He certainly can play for another four, five years: Watson

Watson believes the relaxed schedule allows the 35-year-old skipper to conserve his fitness and remain consistent in racking up runs in the red-ball game. Elgar, having played very minimal white-ball cricket for South Africa, came into the Test scenario to be there for the long haul, and Watson believes that Elgar can continue to form maybe for the next four to five years as well.

“Only playing Test cricket, there’s enough downtime to be able to stay fresh and keep that freshness for the next four-five years. I’m sure he’ll be making the most of that. He certainly can play for another four, five years I think, with his performances still being very high, and he’s a great leader around the group as you can see with his captaincy as well. He’s still got a fair way to go, I believe. It’s a big series (against England), and as captain of South Africa, he’s doing a brilliant job. It’s an incredible achievement, that’s for sure,” Watson added.