Staunch Elgar provides scant consolation

At least South Africa had Dean Elgar.

On a day in which the ghosts of India came back to haunt them so vividly that they could not even get past their highest total from that tour (214), at least Elgar exorcised his own demon.

He smoked out the spirit that saw him get starts in all seven innings in India before squandering them and gave South Africa an inch of safety. Of all the questions they are now facing - and there are many - at least they have one answer.

Since taking over the opening position permanently 13 Tests ago, Elgar has racked up three centuries and three fifties. He averages 44.58 and has gone from being a sprog to a senior.

At Kingsmead, he stubbornly stood his ground for six hours and 26 minutes, spread over two days, and showed mental strength his team-mates have struggled to find, becoming the first South Africa opener to carry his bat since Gary Kirsten against Pakistan in 1997.

Understandably, not all of it was pretty and even less of it was perfect. Of the 246 balls Elgar faced and 66 scoring shots he had, only four stand out: his first boundary - an assertive push through point; his milestone moment - a swot over mid-on to bring up fifty; and two pin-point on-drives on the third morning. But the beauty of this knock was in the bruises.

The 10th ball Elgar faced found its way onto his forearm after he shaped up too early to play the pull. The 59th he faced, when his strike rate hovered a touch under 40%, was fielded so fiercely that the return throw stuck him on the small of the back. In between that, Elgar watched his opening partner and his captain fall; after that, he took two more blows to the arm and the hand from Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes respectively.

If felt any pain from any of those, he did not let it show. What would have hurt more was watching his batting partners form a procession to and from the pitch.

For a brief period, Elgar found someone else with some staying power in AB de Villiers and was immediately more comfortable. Their partnership was the highest of the South African innings and a study in contrasts - the difference between a classically-trained chef and a home-cooking enthusiast.

What Elgar lacked in finesse, de Villiers provided; what de Villiers lacked in bloody mindedness, Elgar provided. When they were separated by a good ball from Stuart Broad and questionable shot selection from de Villiers, South Africa lost their best chance of getting close to the England score. But they had not lost their only chance because Elgar clung on.

He did not panic when Faf du Plessis left him to finish day two alongside Temba Bavuma and he did not panic when Bavuma and then JP Duminy left him with the tail after five-and-a-half overs on day three. Perhaps most importantly, he played spin better than anyone else. Even without the delicate touches that flexible wrists and soft hands can provide, Elgar did well to get forward, smother the turn, ignored any instinctive aggression which could have caused him to do something reckless and stayed industrious.

He was rewarded for that with his fourth and probably hardest-fought century, the strain of which splattered on his face when he celebrated. Elgar allowed himself to let go. He repeatedly punched the air with his fists while he let it out with his breath. He pulled on the Protea badge with passion while he pointed towards his peers as trying to tell them, "You've still got me, and I've got all your backs." He may even have glanced to where his predecessor Graeme Smith looked a proud parent.

Then he went back to batting with match awareness and maturity, something this South African side needs. They lack for leadership because both Amla and du Plessis' confidence has crashed, de Villiers is wrapped up in the retirement rumours doing the rounds and Steyn is injured again. That has left Morne Morkel, who has done his bit with the ball, and Elgar to fill a void. As a result, Elgar's relative inexperience has been erased.

At just 22 Tests old, he is already a go-to man, sometimes even with ball in hand. Elgar carried more of the load than the man South Africa have trumped up as an allrounder in the making, JP Duminy, who has only bowled one over in the match. Elgar has delivered 14, even if in that department he did not really make a difference.

England have taken the sort of lead which will require South Africa to confront and conquer the ghosts of India again if they are to avoid falling behind in the series. At least they have Elgar. The problem is that he may also end up being the most they have.