Dean Elgar has the "hunger and desire" to remain South Africa Test captain following a poor tour of Australia.

The Proteas were beaten 2-0 by Pat Cummins' side, avoiding a whitewash by securing a draw in a rain-affected final match of the series at the SCG.

South Africa have subsequently slipped to fourth in the World Test Championship table and look unlikely to qualify for the final at The Oval.

Elgar only made 56 runs in six innings in a one-sided series, but the opening batter is eager to remain skipper ahead of two home Tests against West Indies in February and March.

He said: "We've got two [Tests] and then potentially a lot of time off for myself for some gully cricket. Then the pressure is off a little bit. But, I enjoy the pressure. If [I was] scoring runs now, it would have been a lot easier to say yes [I want to continue] but obviously you've got to go into it and ask yourself those questions and I have. I still have the hunger and drive, no doubt."

Elgar was dismissed strangled down the leg side on three occasions Down Under, where he was unable to end his wait for a first Test century in over two years.

He said of being out in the same manner: "I can accept once, maybe twice, but the third time is something that highly irritates me.

"And it's something different for me. Generally you have a way of going out and bowlers target that. This is obviously something new and 10 years into a Test career, it's foreign territory for me.

"It's something to potentially reflect on and you can either say it's s*** luck or not. I'm going to have an open mind around it and have a look. It's just a bit frustrating that I could never get going through the series and when I did get going I managed to run myself out, which is also a massive no-no in Test cricket.

"All round, it's extremely frustrating. I have actually been batting well, my build-up has been good. There's been times where I have batted worse and I've actually got the performances, which is the ironic thing about this game."

Elgar believes a break will do him good ahead of the Windies series.

"I am taking as much time off as I want. That's what I need at the moment," he said. "There's been a few conversations with me and the batting coaches to potentially do extra work but for now, I just want to get on a plane, and go home, chill out a bit, have a braai and maybe go to the bush and play some golf.

"Those are the small things that South Africans are deprived of when you go on a tour. I am just going to go home and clutch out a bit."