Home CRICKET Aiden Markram hopes Mirpur victory will end South Africa’s Asian voodoo

Aiden Markram hopes Mirpur victory will end South Africa’s Asian voodoo

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Ten years and six trips is how long South Africa have waited for a Test victory in the subcontinent, something none of their members have experienced so far. Only five participants from the Mirpur-playing the continent, in Galle in 2014.

 

The long period between wins was marred by heavy defeats and breaking the drought is what stand-in captain Aiden Markram hopes is the start of something unused. “It’s special. We’re quite a young group and a bit inexperienced, so to come to the subcontinent and get a win is fantastic for us and for the environment,” Markam said at the post-match press conference. “This win means a lot to us and gives us a taste of what it is like to play cricket in the subcontinent, and makes us excited about the challenges we are likely to face here.”

 

It might also spark some memories of the not-so-distant past when South Africa was beautiful on the subcontinent. Between 2007 and 2014, they conducted 15 Tests in Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Republic of India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates and lost only three, accumulating wins in a row over all except the Republic of India, against whom they drew two. times. In the same period, Australia received only one of 15 checks on the subcontinent and England received 3 of 16. Apart from the Republic of India and Sri Lanka, South Africa was by far the most successful team in Asia during that period of the past.

 

That led to 2015, when South Africa were beaten 3-0 at the Republic of India in a line that began a major slide. After their victory in Galle in 2014, South Africa held 14 more Tests in the subcontinent before this one, losing ten. Six of those losses were in the Republic of India, but they were also shut out 2-0 against Sri Lanka in 2018 and Pakistan in 2021.

 

All those occasions were marked by South Africa’s poor performance against a variety of spinners, from the left-arm spin of Noman Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath to R Ashwin’s spin and Yasir Shah’s leg-spin. In Bangladesh too, the spin turned out to be the biggest blackmail as South Africa lost five in their supremacy, six to Taijul Islam in the first innings and at 108 for six, it seemed best to take marginal merit. It was thanks to Kyle Verreynne and his second team that South Africa gained a healthy and ultimately winning supremacy.

 

Verryenne called the innings the “best” of his Test career as it came in “the toughest conditions I have ever played in.” He cited heat and humidity as one of the most demanding situations and facing “long periods of bowling” as the alternative.

 

Of the 144 balls bowled at Verreynne, 115 came from spinners, which is 80%. The paintings that Verreynne has executed on the sweep shot used to be distinguishable, as ESPNcricnfo’s ball-by-ball data recorded that he scored almost half of his runs, 49, with sweeps (standard, opposite and slog) and also maintained a solid scoring rate.

 

 

In total, Verreynne scored 79.16 and against Taijul, he was especially competitive with 49 runs off 53 balls.

 

“Kyle sweeps really well, he swept a lot of his innings and ended up doing well,” Markram said. “So it’s good to see the boys backing up those kind of strengths. He’s a good spin player and for him to score a hundred in his first Test match in the subcontinent is a really special feat.”

 

Once Verreynne traveled with the South African team to Pakistan in 2021, he only made his debut the next time in the West Indies. He competed with Heinrich Klaasen for South Africa’s first-choice goalkeeper spot, but Klaasen’s breakout test in January has meant Verreynne has the chance to make the spot his own. “Now he’s had a little bit of support from management and now seems very comfortable in the environment,” Markram said.

 

Having Verreynne’s place quite active adds to the spectacle with goalkeeper Ryan Rickelton, who has passed six tests with a supremacy ranking of 42. If captain general Temba Bavuma recovers from a past elbow problem to play matches, The second Test, Rickelton Uno or Matthew Breetzke should make an approach and both could end up sitting out if South Africa opts for a fifth frontline player.

 

They went down in the Mirpur game with a four-man attack and there were instances in Bangladesh’s second innings where they looked lacking. However, they will be encouraged by the way their champion quick Kagiso Rabada, who combined well with Wiaan Mulder in the first innings and then hit a six in the second, posted his absolute best figures in the subcontinent.

 

Rabada’s wicket-taking ability is second to none, in fact, as documented when he became the only bowler to take 300 Test wickets in less than 12,000 deliveries, and doing so alone in the subcontinent makes him stand out even more. On a surface with excellent flying, Rabada’s fragile lengths made him difficult to break and dangerous and Markram hailed him as a “superstar”.

 

Having Rabada spotless and dismissing him also vindicates CSA’s decision to keep him between August and now, and lose him from the white-ball line in the UAE, and shows how the two national coaches are performing together. Watch schoolteacher Shukri Conrad and white-ball teacher Rob Walter plan decisions together so that each of them has the best players available when needed.

 

For the last two and a half months, Test cricket is the focus and Rabada, and to some extent Markram, who was released early from the UAE, have been allowed to concentrate on that.

 

South Africa, despite restricted Test suits on the schedule, remain in the race for the final International Test Championship but may not have enough money for many (or any) slip-ups. They have 5 suits left to play: one later in Chattogram and 4 at home. They will have to win at least four to have a chance to reach the overall in this cycle and this victory has shown them that they can do it.

 

It has also given them confidence as they return to the subcontinent to begin the next cycle with two Tests against Pakistan and the Republic of India, where even tougher situations await them.

 

“The biggest thing we take away is the belief and confidence that we can really do well here as a team,” Markam said. “I think that’s where a lot of the game is played, from the confidence, the conviction and the mental side. It will help the team a lot in terms of moving forward and seeing if we can put together back-to-back performances.” goes.”

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