Elgar guides S/Africa to victory

South Africa’s Dean Elgar reacts after being hit by the ball on the helmet grill off the bowling of India’s Jasprit Bumrah as Virat Kohli checks he is ok REUTERS/Rogan Ward.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South Africa captain Dean Elgar produced a heroic unbeaten innings of 96 runs to lead his team to a seven-wicket victory over India in the second test at the Wanderers yesterday.

Elgar defied a hostile Indian attack and body blows from balls that struck him on a difficult pitch to deliver a match-winning performance as he led a successful 240-run chase, fittingly hitting a boundary to secure the victory.

South Africa reached 243-3 near the end of a rain-restricted fourth day to level the series after India had won the first test in Pretoria by 113 runs, with the deciding match to come in Cape Town, starting Tuesday.