"I have never had that opportunity but this is my World Cup" - Dean Elgar aims to sign off on a high in 2nd IND vs SA Test 

South Africa's opening batter and stand-in captain Dean Elgar wants to wrap up his career with a whitewash over the visiting Indian team. The two sides are scheduled to play the second Test in Newlands, Cape Town, from January 3 onwards.

In the absence of Temba Bavuma, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, Elgar will have the privilege of leading the Proteas in his final-ever Test appearance. The veteran opening batter played a sublime knock in the series opener in Centurion, scoring a brilliant 185 to help South Africa secure a win by an innings and 32 runs.

"I only play the game to win. I don't care about stats. I care about wins. I care about series wins. That's the greatest memories you can ever share with your team, everyone that has got an influential role in the background. Test series wins - you don't top that. Maybe a World Cup win is up there. I have never had that opportunity but this is my World Cup. This is my arena where I want to win," Elgar said on the eve of his final Test.

Following Elgar's decision to retire, he was not named in the squad for South Africa's upcoming series against New Zealand. The 14-man squad, comprising seven uncapped players, including skipper Neil Brand, has sparked wide outrage. The first-choice players have all been recused from international duty to partake in the SA20 League.

Given that it is a second-string squad that will be competing against New Zealand, the upcoming Test against India becomes very crucial in terms of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The Proteas are currently at the top of the points table but have only played one match so far.

"We are in a fortunate position knowing that we can't lose the series but drawing is maybe as big as a loss for us. It's a massive Test for us, being our highlighted Test of the year. The New Year's Test at Newlands, they don't get much bigger and better, against really tough opposition. Playing the New Year's Test is big for guys and they are going to have a lot of firsts so we want them to just live in that moment but be mindful of the opportunity of winning two-nil. Drawing the series is not something we are thinking about at all," Elgar added.

South Africa hold a dominant record against India in Cape Town. They are yet to lose a game against the Men in Blue at the venue in six attempts, winning four and drawing two matches.

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"India is the powerhouse nation in the world and we are in a situation where I can influence and try to get a two-nil win" - Dean Elgar

South Africa squandered Team India's hopes for a maiden series win in the nation with a lopsided encounter in Centurion. The Proteas were the dominant side across all departments, and they could hamper India's chances of making it to the WTC final with yet another win to claim the series with a 2-0 margin.

"There's no bigger honour than to captain your country irrespective of who you are playing against but being against India adds more flavour. India is the powerhouse nation in the world and we are in a situation where I can influence and try to get a 2-nil win," Elgar added

Elgar has been a thorn in India's flesh for quite a while, with his recent 185-run being enough evidence. The gritty left-handed batter will be on the lookout to trouble the opposition for one last time, in a bid to improve his already impressive record against them. He has scored 996 runs against India in 26 innings at an average of 43.30.

Will Dean Elgar finish his career on a high against India in Cape Town? Let us know what you think.