South African opener Dean Elgar doesn't feel under pressure ahead of the Test series

Elgar will be playing in his first Test in India on Thursday

South Africa opener Dean Elgar says he doesn’t feel under pressure going into the upcoming Test series against India and believes that his chemistry with opening partner Stiaan van Zyl will be crucial to setting a platform for his side, reports The Indian Express.

Addressing the media ahead of the first test that starts in Mohali on Thursday, Elgar said: “It is quite an important role, especially in your first innings, being an opener you sort of set the platform for the middle order batters.

“But I don’t see it as a big pressure, to be honest. Fortunately, I have had decent amount of success being in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh now recently. I am quite comfortable playing in the sub-continent. I don’t see it as big a challenge or a different mindset.”

Of his tour of Sri Lanka, the southpaw said, “It was an awesome challenge, it was my first tour being the new opener after Graeme (Smith), so it was a good challenge in that aspect. The wickets deteriorated quite quickly in Sri Lanka. It was a very good experience for myself in those conditions.”

When asked about his relationship with his opening partner, the left-hander said: “Though we may not have opened the batting a lot. We have played a lot of ‘A’ side together, we enjoy good relations even off the field and complement each other well.”

The 28-year-old admitted that his team’s preparations were completely different, as they are playing in the sub-continent, but said they had done everything they can in the past three days.

“Sometimes, it is the possibility of facing spinners with the new ball, which is totally foreign for us back home, but it is something we got to adapt to, adapt to various conditions that we are posed with, mentally you got to prepare as well and make familiar with the conditions.”

Elgar joined a growing list of South African batsmen to pay tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin, but admitted that “facing the guy in the middle and preparing in the nets are two different things, but you have got to prepare with the resources that you have.”

He was also glowing in his praise for South Africa’s batting consultant Michael Hussey, who has a vast experience of playing in the sub-continent.

“His calming words sometime can help you and sometime his one small technical advice can help you develop as a player. He has an awesome influence on me and other players.”