Markram on how difficult batting was on the Newlands pitch

Dean Elgar thrust both fists in the air, providing hearty applause, and like the rest of those in the stadium he was standing when he did so. 

Down below, his opening partner Aiden Markram had turned to the change room, and in a mark of recognition for Elgar’s last Test, feigned a left hander’s forward defence.

“He took me under his wing from the first day at the Titans, eight or nine years ago, and looked after me,” Markram said afterwards.

“That celebration was for Dean.”

His 106 wasn’t able to put South Africa in a position to win the second Test against India — too much damage had been done on the first morning — but there was no denying the quality of the innings he played.

Virat Kohli recognised that, which is why once Markram was finished celebrating, he gave him a fist bump and a pat on the back.

For batters, often joked about as having an easy job, the Newlands pitch offered conditions that made life incredibly difficult.

The next highest score in the match was Kohli’s 46 in India’s first innings. Besides Markram and Kohli, there were only 11 other double figure scores in the Test, with no one else scoring more than 39. 

“It makes it quite challenging when the ball is going up and down. If it’s only one of them you can try to find a plan to cover that,” Markram said of the problems the pitch created.

“Sometimes when it is staying down you don’t want to be getting your pads in the way, which means more legside of the ball, but when it starts bouncing and you are legside of the ball, you can nick it. You wing it a bit while you are out there. Certain bowlers also feel different in the conditions and you go with your gut feel on how to best get through it.”  

Maintaining an aggressive mindset was also important. Markram scored his 106 off only 103 balls, hitting 17 fours and two sixes.

“You need good fortune on a wicket like that. I played and missed a lot and I was dropped as well.

“Ultimately you have to try to find ways to be successful on any surface. You have to remain as positive as you can be, always look to score, and if the odd one goes past your edge, just laugh it off, because there was quite considerable movement.”

That South Africa lost the match, Markram admitted, took some of the gloss off the innings, but it is still one that will be treasured. It was his first Test century since he scored 115 against the West Indies in Centurion last year and the seventh of his career.

In terms of quality it was certainly better than that innings.

“It normally means a hell of a lot more when you win, which probably holds it back slightly. I suppose it will rank highly because in terms of the track it was quite challenging for us batters. Both sets of bowlers bowled incredibly well and used the conditions perfectly,” he said.