South Africa Test skipper Dean Elgar said that the Proteas batsmen need to take more responsibility if they are to fight their way into the Test series against India. South Africa suffered a 113-run defeat in the first Test in Pretoria and if they lose again they will concede a home series to India for the first time.

“We don’t need to panic,” the South Africa skipper told a virtual news conference on Sunday.

“I still think we’ve got a lot of capable players even if they are, in the main, quite inexperienced, but they also have to take the responsibility.

“One or two poor innings with the bat does not make them bad cricketers and backing them is an extremely important thing going forward in test cricket. That’s how you build and grow your test team.”

Elgar said there had been some “hard conversations” in the days following the first Test defeat where South Africa failed to get 200 runs in either inning.

“There were definitely areas that we spoke about, looking to go back to the basic principles of batting and tightening up on our bowling.”

Elgar wants SA to handle De Kock’s Test retirement in a professional manner.

South Africa were also hit by the sudden retirement of wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock from Test cricket, which Elgar admitted had come as a shock.

De Kock, only 29, announced his retirement from the traditional format at the end of the opening Test against India, which the hosts lost by 113 runs at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

“I was pretty shocked. But sitting down with Quiney (Quinton de Kock), he explained his reasons and I respect and fully understand his decision,” Elgar said at a virtual press conference on the eve of the second Test.