‘We Lost Momentum’: Aiden Markram After South Africa’s Series Defeat

South Africa was defeated by host India by 30 runs in the fifth T20 match played in Ahmedabad on Friday. The series of T20 matches was won by the Indian team 3-1. The hero of the victory of the Indian team in the T20 series was Hardik Pandya, without whom the total would not have been 231, with his blistering knock of 63 runs in just 25 balls with five fours and an equal number of sixes. In the match played, the Indian team appeared stronger in every aspect, whereas the South African team appeared weaker in every aspect. Even after losing the series, Proteas captain Aiden Markram admitted that they were unable to maintain momentum. He also expressed his hope for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, saying, "This is a good thing because now we have a clearer idea of ​​what we need to win the World Cup."

After the match, captain Aiden Markram described the Ahmedabad defeat as difficult, saying that chasing 230 always requires a near-perfect effort. Quinton and the top three gave us a great start, and we were in the contest. However, we couldn't maintain that momentum in the middle overs. Still, there was a lot to learn, lessons we'll continue to learn as a group. With a lot of World Cup games to be played, I'm sure this experience will prove valuable.

He said, "We wanted to put Brevis in that pressure situation. He sometimes makes batting look too easy, and that phase of the game was crucial. There was also a tactical angle, like the left-right combination, trying to make things as difficult as possible for the opposition. There isn't always a rigid batting order in T20 cricket. A lot of it depends on gut feeling. We decided to go with that, and I think flexibility is something most T20 teams rely on. It was challenging, for sure. We were asked some tough questions."

Markram further said, "It's a good thing because now we have a clearer idea of ​​what we need to win the World Cup. We faced a good Indian team that played very well, and credit to them for that." But, we also focused on ourselves, identifying areas for improvement. The lessons we've learned over these two weeks have been invaluable.

When asked if he has gained clarity about his team, Markram said, "Yes, absolutely. At the start of the series, we experimented a bit, trying different combinations, playing players in different roles, trying to figure out how we could get the best out of everyone. I think we have a lot of answers now. Going into the World Cup, things will definitely be more structured. Everything we do will be with one goal in mind: to give ourselves the best chance of winning the trophy."