“I wasn’t a part of that Under-19 South African World Cup side (2012, Under-19 WC), but what I heard from the management staff was that it was revenge. I am glad that we could get one back on the Aussies,” Aiden Markram said ahead of the U-19 World Cup final in 2014. The Markram-led South African side didn’t just thrash Australia by 80 runs in that semi-final but also returned home with the silverware. This was the first time any South African cricket captain – be it at the junior or senior level – had hoisted the World Cup trophy.
Many moons have passed by since that impressive triumph. Markram himself has gone on to play close to 180 internationals for the South African national side. He has even led South Africa in limited-overs cricket. But despite fine achievements across formats, it always felt as if Markram hadn’t fulfilled his potential in especially the longest format.
Yes, there have been a few innings of note – The hundred versus Australia in Durban, the 89 in tough conditions against Pakistan at Centurion, and a couple more knocks in Pakistan and versus India. But that jewel in the crown was missing. All that could change in a matter of a few hours as Markram is on the verge of guiding South Africa to a defining World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s, in company of his skipper Temba Bavuma.
It isn’t just about the occasion that mattered. It was also about how Markram approached the task of chasing down a target of 282 that stood out. At the start of South Africa’s second innings, the pressure was clearly on them. The Australian lower order had taken the side to a position of strength. Although the overall conditions had eased out, you wondered whether the pressure of playing in a big final would play a part.
Markram, however, didn’t think that way. From the time he punched Mitchell Starc for a brace in the second over, he looked in sublime touch. Punches, cuts, drives, flicks and pulls – his rapier-like bat produced an array of shots. On the other hand, the Australian pace troika kept zooming in on the stumps with an eye on getting him out LBW. But barring a couple of small alarms, he came through the searching examination of facing a slew of wobble-seam deliveries from the trio with flying colours.
A few times, Nathan Lyon, too, troubled Markram with deliveries that spun from outside the off-stump. But Markram always seemed to have a hidden eraser fitted in his brain that would help him to erase the outcome of the previous ball. Just before the close of play, someone up there rewarded him with a hundred for all his hard work. And he reached it in style too with a glorious flick shot off Josh Hazlewood. Incidentally, on occasions, his batting makes you reminisce memories of AB de Villiers’ methods. And the man himself – de Villiers – was seen clapping at the Lord’s stadium when he completed his hundred.
Despite putting in all the hard yards, Markram and Bavuma still have some work to do. An entire nation is waiting with bated breath for the duo to steer them to an epochal win.
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