Proteas stand-in Test skipper Aiden Markram says their first victory on the Asian subcontinent in a decade will give them the confidence to believe they can compete in conditions which may not always be familiar to the team.
In the absence of regular captain Temba Bavuma, Markram led the visitors to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Mirpur, their first victory on the subcontinent in 15 Tests, dating back to a 2014 victory against Sri Lanka at Galle.
The win sees them jump to fourth spot in the World Test Championship standings, but their next five encounters, one against Bangladesh and two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in SA, will be the determining factor as to whether they achieve a first appearance in the WTC final.
SA needed just 4.5 overs to wrap up the Tigers’ tail, as Mehidy Hasan Miraz (97) fell three runs short of a century, with the hosts adding just 24 runs to their overnight score to end their second innings on 307 all out.
Kagiso Rabada, who took his 300th wicket in the first innings of the match, finished the second innings on six wickets for 46 runs, and nine wickets in the match.
Needing a shade more than 100 to claim the win, the Proteas hit 15 fours and two sixes in pursuit of the winning total.
Tony de Zorzi registered 41, while Tristan Stubbs and Markram recorded scores of 30 not out and 20, respectively, as SA reached the 106-run winning target, losing three wickets in 22 overs.
“It’s special to win here. We are a slightly experienced group, so to come to the subcontinent and get a win is great for us and for the environment,” Markram said.
“It creates a nice buzz in the changeroom and gives us the belief that we can compete in conditions where the odds are seemingly stacked against us.”
Markram said their main objective now was to try to put up an even better performance in the second match as they looked to wrap up the series.
“All sportsmen are competitive and would like to win as much as they can, so it is a nice feeling for us, but I think what makes good teams is the ability to do it often and to back it up,” he said.
“That is what will excite us going into the next Test match, but for now it is a very proud moment for us as a team and something we are really happy about.”
HeraldLIVE
Big win has bred confidence in team, says Markram
Image: SYDNEY SESHIBEDI/GALLO IMAGES
Proteas stand-in Test skipper Aiden Markram says their first victory on the Asian subcontinent in a decade will give them the confidence to believe they can compete in conditions which may not always be familiar to the team.
In the absence of regular captain Temba Bavuma, Markram led the visitors to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Mirpur, their first victory on the subcontinent in 15 Tests, dating back to a 2014 victory against Sri Lanka at Galle.
The win sees them jump to fourth spot in the World Test Championship standings, but their next five encounters, one against Bangladesh and two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in SA, will be the determining factor as to whether they achieve a first appearance in the WTC final.
SA needed just 4.5 overs to wrap up the Tigers’ tail, as Mehidy Hasan Miraz (97) fell three runs short of a century, with the hosts adding just 24 runs to their overnight score to end their second innings on 307 all out.
Kagiso Rabada, who took his 300th wicket in the first innings of the match, finished the second innings on six wickets for 46 runs, and nine wickets in the match.
Needing a shade more than 100 to claim the win, the Proteas hit 15 fours and two sixes in pursuit of the winning total.
Tony de Zorzi registered 41, while Tristan Stubbs and Markram recorded scores of 30 not out and 20, respectively, as SA reached the 106-run winning target, losing three wickets in 22 overs.
“It’s special to win here. We are a slightly experienced group, so to come to the subcontinent and get a win is great for us and for the environment,” Markram said.
“It creates a nice buzz in the changeroom and gives us the belief that we can compete in conditions where the odds are seemingly stacked against us.”
Markram said their main objective now was to try to put up an even better performance in the second match as they looked to wrap up the series.
“All sportsmen are competitive and would like to win as much as they can, so it is a nice feeling for us, but I think what makes good teams is the ability to do it often and to back it up,” he said.
“That is what will excite us going into the next Test match, but for now it is a very proud moment for us as a team and something we are really happy about.”
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