‘There is a lot of passion in this team’: Markram after Proteas’ big start in India

Aiden Markram was asked afterwards if South Africa had sent a message to the rest of the tournament with their dominant batting display against Sri Lanka on Saturday night.

“I’m not actually sure,” he replied. 

It’s far too early to tell. What did New Zealand’s dominance of the defending champions in the opening match mean? Are England over the hill? Will Pakistan conspire to shoot themselves in the foot, as it appeared they were doing in the opening stages against the Netherlands? 

Those are questions that can only be answered over the next five weeks, because this Cricket World Cup is long, involves way too much travelling within India and is between top level sides that contain exceptional talent and amazing skill.

What South Africa needed to do at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday night was not send a message to the rest of the tournament — their rivals, if they’ve done a stitch of homework, will know exactly what the Proteas are capable of and where the weaknesses lie. Rather, Temba Bavuma’s team needed to win. 

Their starts to tournaments and series’ have recently been slow.

“We put a lot of emphasis on today's game; to start well and play the same cricket we've been playing that managed to sneak us into this comp,” said Markram.

Saturday’s 102-run victory, achieved amid a plethora of new landmarks with the bat, was really more about self-affirmation for South Africa than sending a message to the rest of the tournament.

Yes, the top order can absorb early pressure and build a foundation to ensure a total above 400. Quinton de Kock can take his time to score his runs and he can make a substantial contribution at a World Cup, something he’d not done previously. Rassie van der Dussen's meticulousness works as a part of batting team whose scoring rate throughout Saturday’s innings was 8.56 an over. 

Markram, who’s 49-ball hundred was the fastest in World Cup history, also does not have to be creative with his shot-making — though that reverse flick off Dilshan Madushanka was next level. Conventional batting works fine, especially on an easy-paced pitch, with a small playing area and fast outfield.

“If you're setting up to hit really strong, hard cricket shots, the outfield and pitch help you out quite a lot as well,” Markram said.

“So it worked. Luckily, tonight, balls hit gaps. I mean, they don't always hit gaps. And it could be a different story but, yeah, thankful it worked out that way.”

The engine room of the Proteas worked almost to perfection. The bowling wasn’t quite as good, which is why no-one in the team will be getting carried away.

“It was a belter of a wicket,” Markram emphasised. “I think there were certainly phases throughout our bowling innings where we could have been better. We created a few opportunities and that's good to see.”

Nevertheless having struggled in the first 10 overs in the recent series against Australia, where they conceded over 100 runs twice, and 84 on another occasion, Sri Lanka scoring 94/2 in that opening power play is concerning. 

Bavuma took some of the responsibility for not bringing on spinner Keshav Maharaj earlier, but it was the overall execution with the ball once Kusal Mendis, who made 76 off 42 balls, got going that was alarming. The inability to control line and length is once again a topic that will be up for discussion in the bowling meetings this week.

But it's better those conversations take place off the back of a win. South Africa still don’t deserve any kind of ‘favourites’ tag at this tournament, but they needed to show they belonged — not to anyone else, but to themselves.

“I think there's a lot of passion in this team to give our absolute all at this World Cup and see how far it can get us,” Markram said.