Top 5 Test run-scorers in 2017   

#3 Dean Elgar - 1128 runs

Dean Elgar is arguably the most underrated batsman in the current Test arena

Showing remarkable resilience at the top of the order, Dean Elgar was the bedrock of South Africa's batting lineup for the vast majority of 2017. The southpaw's watchfulness against the new ball provided the foundation for the middle-order batsmen to express themselves at the crease. From 12 Tests in the calendar year, he registered 1128 runs at an average of 53.71 with as many as five centuries and four fifties.

During the second Test of the England tour, Elgar put on a decisive 135-run partnership with Hashim Amla in South Africa's second innings. The left-hander's 80 contributed significantly to the visitors' only triumph in an otherwise calamitous series. When it seemed like he would score his maiden double ton, the opener fell short by a solitary run and joined a rare club during the Potchefstroom Test match against Bangladesh.