Africa-Press – South-Africa. Aiden Markram, so talented, so infuriating (because that talent deserves more runs), but on Friday so magnificent. His unbeaten 102 has given the Proteas the right to dream.
69 runs, just 69 runs. It doesn’t look like a lot, but Australia will make it look triple that amount on Saturday. But before looking ahead, it is worth looking back and Markram was just sublime on Friday.
South African supporters have dreamt of just this kind of knock from the former under-19 captain, from whom so much was and continues to be expected. Here he carved out what is undoubtedly the best innings of his life.
A fulfilment of all that natural ability, as he mixed elegance, with guts, to ensure South African can dream. Markram, started so rapidly as South Africa set off in pursuit of 282 set by Australia — at stumps they were 213/2.
That target that was probably 30 runs more than the Proteas had hoped to chase when they turned up at the ground on Friday morning. Australia’s captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday evening that another “30 to 40 runs” on top of the 144/8 his side had overnight, would allow him to set attacking fields when South Africa batted for the final time.
That happened, but it also left gaps and with the South African batters showing much better intent than was the case on Wednesday evening, alongside Australia not bowling at the same high standard they did in that period, the runs came quickly.
Also the sun was out, and as irritating as the morning session was with Australia adding 73 runs and Starc reaching an unbeaten 58, it showed that the pitch was not as demonic as the first two days.
Ryan Rickleton will be miffed that he got out the way he did. His provincial teammate, Wiaan Mulder, will feel the same, especially as he got a start, scoring 27, and sharing a second-wicket partnership of 61 with Markram. The opener, started with a gorgeous cover drive off Starc, building momentum that he was primarily responsible for maintaining through the innings.
There were a few characteristically elegant back foot drives too through the covers, but arguably two of the best shots were deft late cuts — one off Starc and another off Beau Webster, the latter going finer to the third man boundary.
The celebration of his hundred wasn’t as animated as in the past — the was no leap for instance — just a punch of his right fist and a look up to the sky.
With the captain Temba Bavuma not out on 65, ignoring the searing pain of a strained left hamstring to help forge a partnership that at stumps was worth 143 runs.
Bavuma limped, hobbled and occasionally broke into something resembling a sprint when trying to complete a two after a delicate sweep off Travis Head. It looked bloody painful. It will need more treatment overnight, but you can bet your last rand, he’ll be at the crease on Saturday morning.
The South African captain’s innings was not without luck, the biggest moment arriving early in his innings, when he’d scored just two and was dropped by Steve Smith at first slip off Starc.
The former Australia captain was standing much closer to the stumps than is normal — wearing a helmet for protection — and the ball blasted through his fingers.
He left the field in agony and was later diagnosed with a compound dislocation of his right little finger. Smith was taken to hospital for X-rays and further treatment.
A number of edges have fallen short of slips in the past two days, leading to both sides moving their respective cordons closer to the stumps. Like Smith, Markram also wore a helmet on Thursday night and again on Friday morning as he stood close against the quick bowlers.
It was the main reason Marco Jansen, standing at gully, dropped Starc when he had 14, three balls before the close of play on the second evening. By the close of the third evening, South Africa were on top, they can dream. Just 69 more runs.
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