MUMBAI: Aiden Markram admits that it took him time to understand the nuances of batting in the ODIs. But now that he has learnt the grammar, backed by clear thinking, he is revelling in the newfound joy and South Africa are benefiting from it.
Once touted as the ‘Next Big Thing’ in South African cricket, especially after he captained them to their only Under-19 World Cup title in 2014, Markram—who made his ODI debut in 2017—took his time to settle. He was shuffled up and down the batting line-up, given captaincy when he wasn’t ready which affected him mentally.
Now he bats regularly at No. 4 and the fixed batting position has helped him play more freely than he usually did. In 2023, the 29-year-old is consistently performing the way South Africa always hoped he would. This year, he has scored 842 runs in 16 matches at an average of 60.14 with three centuries and four fifties. Till end of 2022, his numbers were dismal as he hadn’t scored a century in 44 matches and had just scored 1088 runs with five fifties. He is also South Africa’s top-scorer in ODIs this year.
What’s the reason behind the resurrection? Markram explained: “In 50-over cricket, there is a lot more time than what I initially thought. (I have) realized that there are gears that you do go through in 50-over cricket and you can’t just gear straight up and then stay in that gear, you might have to gear down a few times. So, I had to experience that first-hand to be able to learn about it.”
Technique was never an issue with Markram, it was the application. In 60 matches, he has got out numerous times in 30s-40s which increased his frustration. “You may decide to pull the trigger slightly earlier and then you get out and you sit for 20 overs on the side and watch the other guys smack it and it eats away at you,” he said of the learnings which made him understand the virtues of spending time at the crease.
He has scored 265 runs in five matches at an average of 53 so far in this World Cup with one hundred and two fifties—one of which came against Bangladesh at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
The 49-ball century against Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium captured the class that Markram possesses. It was a coming of age knock for him, and was built on grace, timing, and brute force rather than pulling out audacious T20 strokes—which everyone feels is a necessity for modern-day cricketers. Not for Markram though.
The right-hand batter, who has been the stand-in captain for the last two matches as regular skipper Temba Bavuma was unwell, is playing down South Africa’s flying start in the tournament and is more focused on the matches ahead.
“I think that’s a pretty dangerous place to be, to be honest. I don’t think you want to start trying to do maths this far out. There are still four games and that’s potentially eight points up for grabs. That’s what we’re going to try to push for,” he said.
South Africa have eight points from five matches and have the best run-rate among the 10 teams, but their next four fixtures are tough ones. First up, they face Pakistan on Friday before readying themselves to take on New Zealand (November 1), India (November 5) and Afghanistan (November 10).
