"He is the dean of the university of grit, determination and steel" - Aakash Chopra says Dean Elgar has to be the Player of the Match

Aakash Chopra has lauded Dean Elgar for being the epitome of grit, determination and steel during his match-winning knock for South Africa in the second Test against India.

Elgar remained unbeaten on 96 as the Proteas chased down a fourth-innings target of 240 runs with relative ease. The win helped the hosts draw level in the three-match series, with the all-important decider to be played in Cape Town from January 11.

While reviewing the encounter in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Dean Elgar. He said:

"Dean Elgar - he is the dean of the university of grit, determination and steel - he showed how to fight as an opener or a Test batter. His name also has dean and he plays like a dean as well. He didn't become a centurion but he is daring because he got hit so many times and despite that kept standing."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the South African captain was deservedly chosen as the Player of the Match. Chopra reasoned:

"The Player of the Match, no doubt about this, has to be Dean Elgar. What a player this guy is. He scored runs in the first innings and the second innings as well. He did not take the name of stopping. He played a lot of deliveries in both innings, took a lot of them on all parts of his body."

Elgar scored only 28 runs in the first innings but played out 120 deliveries in the process. His unbeaten 96 in the second essay came off 188 balls and was studded with 10 boundaries.

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"Dean Elgar was absolutely exceptional" - Aakash Chopra

Dean Elgar was dealt quite a few blows all over his body

Aakash Chopra lauded Dean Elgar for staying in the moment and forgetting what happened on the previous delivery. He observed:

"The most difficult thing is to forget the previous delivery, that is cricket's basic theory. He got beaten or got hit on the head but the next ball, he was back at it again, I mean he was absolutely exceptional."

The 44-year-old concluded by saying that Dean Elgar played a true captain's knock. Chopra explained:

"Leading from the front, leading by example and a good captain says not to do what he says but to do what he does. And he showed it by doing it, this team reminded the Indian team of their name."

Elgar played a 77-run knock in South Africa's second innings at Centurion as well but could not help them avoid defeat. The 34-year-old is the second-highest run-getter of the series thus far, just two runs shy of KL Rahul's tally of 204.