Subcontinent success high on Aiden Markram’s agenda

Aiden Markram had an outstanding Test series against Australia at home earlier this year.

The ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test, and the events in its aftermath, might have cornered much of the attention, but Markram’s 480 runs at an average of 60 from eight innings was a phenomenal effort all right.

Markram, in fact, has been one of the top Test batsmen in recent times. Since his debut in September 2017, he has exactly 1000 runs from 10 Tests, at an average of 55.55, with four centuries and three half-centuries.

With that sort of form leading into the Test tour of Sri Lanka, one would expect Markram to be on a high, but he is anything but. He knows that all his runs have come in South Africa, and said before the team’s only tour game, starting in Colombo on Saturday 7 July, “I would like to do well this tour because it is outside of South Africa. I don't want to be labelled as the guy who only does well in home conditions.”

The last time South Africa toured the subcontinent was in 2015. In July, they played a two-Test series in Bangladesh, which ended 0-0, but then they lost a four-Test series 3-0 in India in November-December.

“Any subcontinent conditions are going to be a very difficult challenge to South Africa. It's been winter back at home, and we have been trying to simulate playing in conditions here, where the ball stays a bit lower. We get quite a bit of bounce back home. The winter wickets at home tend to keep a lot lower than in summer, so that helped a bit,” said Markram about the preparations.

“We batted in different creases and worn-out tracks and tried to get some spin. We tried to make things as much as realistic as possible to simulate conditions here.”

Taking on Rangana Herath, the 40-year-old champion left-arm spinner, has been a tough ask for most visiting batsmen over the years, and a test Markram has to pass to achieve his goal.

“I'm looking forward to playing Herath. I have no idea what to expect and what the conditions are going to be. But he is a quality bowler. One of the best spinners in the world. And it's going to be a great challenge. Hopefully, I will take something out of this series,” he said.

All said, it must not be forgotten that South Africa have won three and lost four in 12 Tests in Sri Lanka over the years, not a bad record. Also, they won the last time out, in 2014, with Dale Steyn picking up 13 wickets and Morne Morkel 12 in the two Tests even as Dilruwan Perera (16) and Herath (12) troubled the visiting batsmen.

Some of the players who were part of the scene then, like Steyn, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander, are still very much around, and that should help, felt Markram.

“Hashim is great value in the camp – a lot of experience and his calm nature rubs off on a lot of players,” he said. “Whenever he speaks it adds value to us. He has experienced these conditions before and he has experienced quite a bit of subcontinent conditions. He has been sharing a lot of knowledge with us. The position I am in – quite young and quite new – you try to get a lot from him.

“Dale in any conditions is great to have back in the camp. He brings a wealth of knowledge, a good energy and a buzz to the side. With ball in hand he is one of the best in the world. Dale is the kind of guy that puts the team as his sole focus.”