Visakhapatnam: There is so much to admire about Dean Elgar. His willingness to guts it out. His ability to bat for long hours with scarcely noticeable drops in concentration. His desire to tackle the best in the world in unfamiliar conditions. His propensity to put the past behind him and get on with the job. And his overwhelming march towards self-improvement, in which journey he is willing to leave home every South African summer to ply his wares in the English County Championship.

There must have been an immense sense of self-satisfaction when the fruits of all the hard work manifested themselves in a typically pugnacious but also occasionally flamboyant 160. India were expected to lord Day Three of the first Test, but Elgar's heroics, coupled with skipper Faf du Plessis's class and Quinton de Kock's enterprise, muscled the Proteas to 385-8 in response to the hosts' 502-7 declared.