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The South African captain, Aiden Markram, has shared his thoughts on the disheartening defeat against India in the Johannesburg ODI on Sunday (December 17).
Dominant bowling performance by India pacers
In a commanding display at the New Wanderers Stadium, Team India secured an emphatic victory over South Africa in the first ODI. The win gave India a decisive 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series.
Opting to bat first, South Africa faced significant struggles, managing to post a modest 116 runs in 27.3 overs. The Proteas’ batting woes were evident, with no player reaching a half-century. Andile Phehlukwayo emerged as the top scorer with 33 runs.
For India, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh showcased his bowling prowess, claiming a remarkable maiden five-wicket haul, while right-armer Avesh Khan contributed with figures of 4/27 in his eight overs.
Clinical run chase by Team India
Responding to South Africa’s below-par total, the Men in Blue, led by half-centuries from debutant Sai Sudharsan (55 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (52), efficiently chased down the target in just 16.4 overs. The visitors’ batting prowess was on full display as they secured the win with eight wickets in hand.
Aiden Markram addresses South Africa’s tough defeat
During the post-match presentation, Markram added a touch of humour by jokingly expressing that he wouldn’t choose to bat first if given the toss again.
After the light-hearted remark, Markram acknowledged his team’s initial intent to set a substantial score. He credited the Indian bowlers, recognizing their outstanding performance that contributed to South Africa’s challenging position. The Proteas skipper admitted that his team struggled to make a comeback in the contest, emphasizing the need for strategic assessment and intelligent decision-making.
“Probably not (on batting first again on this pitch and chuckles),” Markram said.
“Tough one (the loss). We would have liked to put on a really good score batting first. Credit to their bowling attack with the lateral movement. We were not even allowed to settle and build a partnership. The problem was right from the start and could not pull things back. (Misread the pitch?) We expected it to go around a little bit. Generally in the day games it does do something for 5-7 overs, we have seen that before. But today it went along for longer and we couldn’t get in and build partnerships,” the 29-year-old added.
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Batters’ responsibility and India’s lead
Markram further emphasized the responsibility on the batters to assess situations, plan strategically, and make intelligent decisions in challenging circumstances.
“I think it comes down to individuals (on aggressive batting) When you are out there you have to assess yourself and communicate with the partner. We encourage guys to be positive but also choose smart options. We will have to assess,” the Centurion-born cricketer concluded.
With India’s resounding victory the focus now shifts to the upcoming second ODI in Gqeberha on Tuesday (December 19). The clinical performance by India have set the stage for an intriguing contest as both teams vie for supremacy in the 50-overs format.
