Elgar on SA's dismal performance: 'I am trying to wrap my head around it'

Proteas captain Dean Elgar admits SA were completely outplayed by a classy and ruthless New Zealand in the first of two Test matches at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.

SA are in danger of losing their record of never having lost a Test series to New Zealand after the crushing defeat by an innings and 276 runs before lunch on the third day.

It is also worth noting that this was the Proteas’ first Test defeat to New Zealand in 18 years and it comes just over a month since SA came back from 1-0 down to beat India 2-1 at home.

Elgar admitted SA were second-best over the two-and-half days of their abject performance where they managed 206 runs in two innings, with Temba Bavuma their highest scorer with 41.

In their only innings after they won the toss and elected to field first, New Zealand reached 482 with Henry Nicholls scoring 105 as they replied to SA’s first innings score of 95.

“Hopefully in the next day or two I will be able to give an answer as to why we lacked intensity but we were totally outplayed by a classy New Zealand outfit in all departments of the game,” Elgar said.

“It is something I am also trying to wrap my head around. I do feel our intensity was lacking throughout the past two-and-a-bit days. As a side, when our intensity is high and we are operating at a certain level, we compete and give ourselves a chance of getting victory.

“As to why we lacked in the intensity department, it is something that I am still trying to process and still haven’t come to anything yet.”

The Proteas are playing this series with coach Mark Boucher facing allegations of “gross misconduct” by Cricket SA (CSA) regarding outcomes of the social justice and nation-building hearings, but Elgar said SA's poor performances are not as a result of off-field issues.

“I don’t think so, I don’t see that as an excuse. I think as a group we’ve kind of worked that out already and I can’t see that as being an influence within our camp.

“I guess individuals can maybe answer that in their own respect but I definitely don’t see it as having had an impact with what’s happened in the last few days.”

The Proteas were in mandatory managed isolation and quarantine in New Zealand for 10 days and they did not have a warm-up match before this Test but Elgar said that can’t be used as an excuse.

“It would have been nice to play a warm-up game because that could have given us a little more of a clear indication of playing capacity. It's one thing to be training at facilities and that gives you a bit of a blueprint but I am not going to sit here and use quarantine as an excuse.

“I have always said that we are a professional outfit, we are representing our country and ultimately we need to be firing when match-day comes. Again, people might have different versions with regards to this question but from my angle I don’t see quarantine as an excuse.

“If it is an excuse, I think it is a very meek excuse for us to be using because it was very clear cut that we have to come here and respect the rules and regulations of New Zealand.”