South Africa relieved at timely win, says Markram

“We pride ourselves on being a really competitive nation, and when you don’t play to that standard it affects the human as well as the cricketer.” - Aiden Markram

Telford Vice / Cape Town

WHO was that man batting at No. 4 for South Africa in Potchefstroom on Tuesday? And what had he done with Aiden Markram? You know, Markram — who bats like a dream only to wake up to the cold coffee of another ill-considered, poorly played, overly ambitious stroke that looks nothing like what he had done to that point and costs him his wicket.

Before the third ODI Markram had reached 50 in 32 innings across the formats but turned only seven of those efforts into centuries. That’s a conversion rate of 21.88%. His opposite number Marnus Labuschagne’s rate is 36.13%. Going into the match David Warner’s was 34.59%, Virat Kohli’s 37.02%. Even players from an earlier, gentler era took their chances more than Markram has: Jacques Kallis’ rate was 29.38% and Graeme Smith’s 29.13%. AB de Villiers? 30.13%.

This time Markram didn’t wake up. He ignored the snooze button and hammered an unbeaten 102 off 74 balls, an innings of power, elegance and intent that rocked and rolled with scything drives, booming pulls, and the look of a batter who had come to make their mark. It illustrated the disconnect between the painfully polite persona Markram presents to the world and the hard bastard he sometimes shows himself to be. Would that he did so more often. That’s what wins matches.

Win South Africa did, by 111 runs, to resuscitate a five-match series that Australia had led 2-0. That followed the T20I rubber they won 3-0. How did it feel for the plan to come together after five consecutive, convincing losses?

“There’s a lot of relief,” Markram said. “We pride ourselves on being a really competitive nation, and when you don’t play to that standard it affects the human as well as the cricketer. It’s not nice to let the people of your country down. When we get a good result it means a lot to us, and it’s nice to know that, despite what’s happened on this tour so far, we’ve got the character to turn it around in a must-win game.”

After Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock shared 146 off 137 — South Africa’s first century opening stand in 21 ODIs — Markram put on 76 off 70 with Reeza Hendricks and 63 off 31 with Marco Jansen. All of which seemed doomed to come to nothing while Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Labuschagne were reeling in almost half of Australia’s target in 40% of their allotted deliveries. Set a steep 339, the visitors’ top four scored 160 of them off 122 balls. Then a few strange things happened.

Warner is among the most professional, prepared players on the planet. For him to lose a boot, slip as a consequence, and be run out by Keshav Maharaj’s direct hit from midwicket was bizarre. Especially as he was 22 runs away from adding another century to the 106 he made in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Then Labuschagne was comfortably stumped by De Kock off a ripping googly from Tabraiz Shamsi, who set off on a rip-roaring celebration that made Imran Tahir’s antics look tame — an echo of Shamsi’s spirited discussion with Labuschagne on Saturday.

And then De Kock, in a shimmering flash of skill and belief, removed the bails with liquid seamlessness at the instant Marcus Stoinis’ foot lifted as he lunged at a sharply tuning delivery from Maharaj.

From sitting pretty at 157/2 in the 19th the Australians were staggering at 178/5 after 24. They were flat on their faces in the wake of Gerald Coetzee ripping 4/22 in 20 balls, which earned him career-best figures — in his fourth ODI — of 4/50.

Australia’s collapse amounted to 9/87. They were bowled out inside 35 overs, the first time in nine innings regardless of format that South Africa had dismissed them. With matches to follow at Centurion on Friday and the Wanderers on Sunday, and with only one more win required to clinch the series, did they think they could afford to take things easy on Tuesday?

“It certainly wasn’t us taking our foot off the gas,” Mitchell Marsh said. “South Africa are a very good side and they played very well. They outplayed us.”

Not before time, they did. But Australia have other opportunities to have the last laugh. So do the South Africans.

Cricbuzz