AUS vs SA 2022-23, 1st Test: 'Don't see this as a fair contest' - Elgar critical of Brisbane pitch

As Australia and South Africa locked horns in the opening Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, fans were hopeful of witnessing an exciting contest that could be dragged on until Day 4 or Day 5. However, to everyone's amusement, it was over within a couple of days, as the hosts ensured a six-wicket victory, leading 1-0 in the three-Test series. Being a low-scoring encounter, the match was highly friendly for the bowlers while the batters struggled. Meanwhile, fingers were pointed out at the Gabba track, which was very much untypical, as it is known for its fierce bounce. On the same note, South African skipper Dean Elgar refused to consider it a fair contest.

Giving his opinion after the defeat, Elgar suspected, "Another 60 runs and we would have been in the game. I am still trying to wrap my head around what's happened—pretty spicy wicket. Bowlers were licking their lips. Challenging for the batters, which is okay. But, on the flip side, I don't see this as a fair contest."

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"In fairness, I don't think we could prepare any better. Conditions weren't in favour of the batters. The partnership between Smith and Head made the difference. We've got an unplanned extra three days, that's good. When you've got two quality bowling attacks, people want to watch that, but they want to watch it for all five days," added Elgar.

Also, Australian captain Pat Cummins echoed Elgar's thoughts and said, "Tricky wicket. The way Head and Smith batted got us to this winning position. I'm a bowler, so you're asking the wrong person. But, it was a difficult wicket. Credit to Head for how he batted - he almost scored a hundred."

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On the other hand, the Man of the Match Head stated, "Challenging wicket, plenty for the bowlers. We saw that the whole game. Nice to be able to contribute and get a win. When we batted, the conversation was to stay positive, and they bowled in the right areas. We knew we had to play and miss. We hope we get a bit of luck. It was one of the most challenging wickets I've played on."