Proteas captain Dean Elgar says he was “pretty shocked” by Quinton de Kock’s decision to retire from Test cricket but that the team must “get over it”.

De Kock made the announcement after the first Test against India in Centurion.

“I wasn’t aware that it was going to happen,” said Elgar on Sunday. “Sitting down with Quinny he explained the reasons for it and I very much respect his decision and the space he is in at the moment.”

Elgar said he did not believe De Kock’s decision to quit Tests and concentrate on white-ball cricket at the age of 29 would spark an exodus of players deciding to chase the big money available in competitions like the IPL.

But he said he hoped De Kock would not come to regret opting out of the five-day game.

“I don’t think his decision is going to jeopardise Test cricket going forward,” he said. “We as a group have to get over it. The game moves on.”

Elgar said Kyle Verreynne would replace De Kock as wicketkeeper-batsman and hinted that there might be “other combinations” that would change in the home team’s line-up for the second Test at the Wanderers, which starts on Monday.

Meanwhile, India coach Rahul Dravid said on Sunday that his side had room for improvement.

Dravid sent out a clear message that there was no room for complacency following India’s 113-run win in Centurion.

He praised the Indian bowlers for twice bowling out South Africa for under 200 and gave credit to the top-order batsmen for setting up the game with their batting on the first day.

“It’s not very often you come to overseas conditions and get to 272-3 on the first day,” he said. “We know we could probably have got more runs. To get bowled out for 327, that’s something we’d like to improve.”

Dravid added that India could also have batted better in the second innings, when they were dismissed for 174.

“It was a good Test match but there are areas where we can learn and improve because we know we are going to have to do it in this game.”

India’s recently-appointed coach said there was an awareness in the team that in the past that “maybe we’ve slipped up a little after winning a game. We’re going to work very hard because I expect South Africa to respond tomorrow”.

© Agence France-Presse