Opening batsman Dean Elgar insists the Proteas are incentivised to win this week’s third and final Test against India in Ranchi, despite having conceded an insurmountable 2-0 series deficit.

The tourists lost the first Test in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs and the second in Pune by an innings and 137 runs.

The newly introduced Test Championship has contextualised a final match that previously would have effectively been deemed a dead rubber.

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‘Back in the day it was always a bit of a dead-rubber game, but now with the World Test Championships around, we still have points to play for,’ said Elgar.

‘We can still get 40 points by following our process against India in the last Test. That’s something we can’t neglect going into this game. There is still a lot to play for.’

The tourists will be without spinner Keshav Maharaj and opening batsman Aiden Markram in Ranchi. Maharaj and Markram have been sidelined by respective shoulder and wrist injuries.

‘We still motivate everyone within our squad. It has been a challenging few weeks, but it’s still not too gloomy for us. We are upbeat, the morale in the camp is still very good,’ added Elgar.

‘We still have one game and we can actually change quite a lot. We are still pretty hopeful and pretty positive going into the last Test.

‘It’s no secret that it’s been a bit of a challenge for all of us. We haven’t played our greatest cricket, consistent cricket. But we are trying to be positive. The senior players are trying to keep the guys motivated. We are still representing our country, which is an immensely proud moment for every player.’

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