South Africa captain Dean Elgar has slammed the Gabba's first Test pitch as dangerous and revealed he asked the umpires how much longer the match should go until it was deemed unsafe.
Speaking after the six wicket-loss to Australia in which 34 wickets fell inside two days, Elgar said the green Gabba pitch was not a suitable Test wicket and favoured the bowlers far too much.
The Proteas were bundled out for 99 in their second innings but it was late on the second day when Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje bowled a fearsome spell as Australia chased 35 for victory that Elgar quizzed the umpires.
Rabada took four wickets, including Travis Head with a lifting delivery, and Nortje bowled a series of thunderbolts that went flying over the wicketkeeper.
Elgar did not hold back when asked his thoughts on the surface, which is certain to be the subject of a thorough review from the International Cricket Council.
"You've got to ask yourself the question: Is that a good advertisement for our format? Thirty-four wickets in two days. A pretty one-sided affair I would say," he said.
"I am a purist of this format and we want to see the game go four or five days. The way it started to play with some seriously steep bounce with an old ball ... you are on a hiding to none as a batting unit.
"I don't think it was a very good Test wicket.
"I did ask the umpires when KG got (Travis) Head out down leg. I said, 'How long does it go on for until it potentially is unsafe?' Nortje was bowling those short ones that were flying over our heads.
"I know the game was dead and buried. It was never to try and change (the result) or to put a halt to the game."
Elgar said he did not get a response from the umpires as Australia had only a few runs to win and he suspected they thought he was "taking the Mickey".
The Proteas captain was asked post-match if conditions were dangerous at that point.
"Yeah, but the game was as good as finished I guess. I am definitely not going to say it was unsafe," he said.
Pat Cummins disagreed with his counterpart's assessment.
"If you're going to lose the match, you'd probably try anything, wouldn't you?" Cummins said.
"It was fine. There was some sideways movement, a little bit of up and down bounce but ... there's no balls jumping off a length or anything like that."
The Australian captain conceded the strip was "certainly tricky".
"Two days probably isn't ideal," he said.
"A lot of sideways movement and today a little bit of up and down bounce as well. Personally, I kind of don't mind when the groundsman errs on the greener side occasionally.
"I've played a lot of Test matches when they've erred on the flatter side so I think it was the same for both teams.
"No way (was it dangerous), it was fine."
It was what transpired earlier in the match that concerned Elgar as he was asked about the divots in the pitch.
"It was interesting to see how quickly this one did start divoting and how quickly the ball sped up, especially the new ball. Also today the older ball was flying through which shouldn't be happening," he said.
"The divots definitely had quite a big role to play especially with the sideways movement. Obviously the ball had that steep bounce which was quite something to face."
