Proteas captain Dean Elgar won't underestimate weakened New Zealand

SA will not underestimate the weakened New Zealand side in the first of two Test matches starting on Thursday at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The Blackcaps go into this match without top-order batting kingpins Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor and frontline fast bowler Trent Boult for a variety of reasons.

Inspirational captain Williamson has been sidelined with an elbow tendon injury, Taylor retired last year after 15 years while Boult is another big-name withdrawal as he awaits the birth of his third child.

“They obviously have three experienced guys out of their squad but it is totally out of my control,” said Elgar. “I need to control what I can control and that is to prepare and get the guys in the right mindset to start the Test match and this will by no means make us not to respect the opposition.

“We respect the New Zealand side because they have had success even if these guys are not around, and they have had success with their current players.”

In the absence of Williamson, Taylor and Boult, captain Tom Latham said South African-born Devon Conway, who will be playing for the first time against the country if his birth, will bat at number three.

Henry Nicholls is expected to be moved to four, Daryl Mitchell, who will take over from Taylor at first slip, is to bat at five but they have not decided on their second all-rounder between Colin de Grandhomme or Rachin Ravindra.

“We know they are an extremely dangerous side in their conditions and we need to be mindful of that and respect where we are as a side and where they are as a side. We also need to focus and control what we can control and that is breaking up this Test into different phases. We are mindful that they are still a dangerous side because they are playing Test cricket for their country.

“They know what they are doing when it comes to their skills and it is up to me to make us understand that and align us in the job that we need to fulfil in the series.”

To be able to beat New Zealand, Elgar said, they must execute their skills properly with bat and ball.                                 

“Sometimes you can get a little bit carried away when you see green grass on the wicket. It may mislead you in not executing your skills, lines and lengths because you think that the grass is going to do everything.

“You just think that putting the ball in the right area is going to give you success and that definitely doesn’t work in these conditions. We will have to execute our skills and our strengths which have brought our success of late.

“We have done very well from a bowling point of view and from a batting perspective we need to be strong in our defence and leaving the ball. We have to set up our batting innings to score runs later in the afternoon and there is definitely a method towards [that].

“The conditions may be a little bit misleading so far but what I have experienced in the nets has been pretty good competition between bat and ball in the sense that if you give yourself time and bat well you will score runs.

“From a bowling point of view, your margin for error is a little bit bigger because the wicket assists seam bowling but that ties in with the fact that you still need to put the ball in the right area.

“You can’t expect things just to happen, you still have to put in the hard yards and that gives you the best chance to win the game.”