ALMOST two years ago, no one could have predicted that Aiden Markram would be sitting among the very few Proteas Test captains with series victories on the Indian sub-continent.
This comes after the 30-year-old led the Proteas – as the stand-in captain in place of the injured Temba Bavuma – to an innings and 273-run victory in Chattogram yesterday to win the second Test in Bangladesh and register a 2-0 series victory.
About two years ago, the right-handed batter was down and out in Test cricket and dropped from the side after a dismal couple of years with the bat, including tours of New Zealand and England in the same year.
As a result, Markram was shifted down the order from the opener position, but would go on to fail in the middle-order as well, marking what many would have thought was an end to his Test career.
Now, Markram is the first captain with a Test series victory on the Indian sub-continent in 10 years. He also is the only skipper to lead the SA men’s team to the World Cup, all feats achieved in the same year.
In a conversation with the media post the series victory yesterday, Markram reflected on his journey and described it as tough, but worth all the ups and downs.
“It has been a tough journey at times. To be slowly progressing is a really good thing for us. Obviously, the two formats are extremely different, but to come here and get a positive result is a really big thing for us as a team,” the 30-year-old said.
“To make a final at a T20 World Cup is big for us. If we can keep putting in good performances like that...
“We don’t know what that feeling is yet, because we haven’t lifted the trophy, but we do believe we have players in the country to do so.
“The journey itself has been incredibly difficult. But worth the fight, worth the hours, worth the sacrifice.”
Kagiso Rabada, the world’s No 1 Test bowler, played an important hand in the series as he walked away with 14 wickets and the Player of the Series award.
Tony de Zorzi’s (177) maiden Test century saw him chosen as the Player of the Match as he too played a critical role in the Proteas walking away with a series victory.
Yesterday, Bangladesh were bowled out for 159 in the first innings, with Rabada claiming 5/37, and then SA enforced the follow-on and managed to close out the victory in the final session by dismissing the hosts for 143.
Spinners Keshav Maharaj (5/59) and Senuran Muthusamy (4/45) claimed nine wickets between them to wrap things up.
The triumph means that South Africa now have a real chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next year.
The Proteas have four more Tests at home against Sri Lanka later this month and Pakistan in the December-January period.
Markram advised his team to not look too far ahead, and to rather take matters one game at a time.
“To still be in the mix (for the Test final) is a great thing. We have to keep your name in the hat and keep plugging away,” he said.
“All you can do is look after each Test and game at a time. It’s a long way away, a lot of Test cricket is still to be played.
“I have to take it session by session, Test match by Test match. Hopefully, we are on that flight to Lord’s.”