Markram calls for calm after Proteas’ blistering start

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

“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 SA needed to do at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday 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 SA 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 the batting team whose scoring rate throughout Saturday’s innings was 8.56 an over. 

Markram, whose 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.”