“We had a chance to learn from other Pakistani players,” said Proteas batsman, Aiden Markram, as reflected on his innings of 74 off 224 balls, albeit it was in a losing cause, with Pakistan going one-up in the two-match series.
Markram said he had not made too many technical changes in the second innings. The Pakistani batsmen’s approach in their first innings offered lessons for the Proteas, which they strived to implement in the second innings.
Ideally, “I would have loved to kick on,” said Markram, cognizant of the challenges the pitch could present to a new batsman coming in right before the end of the third day’s play.
While Markram notched an important half-century after a string of low scores against India, he recognizes this innings as “a step in the right direction for myself. Obviously there is still lots of learning and growing to do,” Markram continued.
Markram attributed his first innings dismissal to a good ball from Pakistani fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, but was pleased to confront the challenge of spending time at the crease, as opposed to focusing on scoring, while batting in the second innings.
Highlighting the conversation between Rassie van der Dussen and himself in their second innings partnership of 127 runs, Markram said, “we had our game plans and stayed committed. We felt if we got out of our game plans, it would have been hard for the next batter.”
Markram explained that the main change in the pitch between the two innings was that in the second innings, the ball started spinning off the straight, making it “genuinely tough to start against the spinning ball.” Therefore, “the first 20-30 balls are vitally important.”
Pakistani batsman, Fawad Alam, believed a better understanding of home conditions and the way in which their spinners, Nauman Ali and Yasir Shah, made use of the pitch were critical to their victory against South Africa.
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