Aiden Markram (Source – Getty Images)
With South Africa preparing to lock horns with Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, skipper Aiden Markram expresses confidence in his team’s ability to tackle the formidable spin challenge ahead. The series, set to begin on October 21 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, is a good opportunity for the Proteas to improve their lackluster Test record in the subcontinent.
Over the past decade, South Africa has struggled in subcontinental conditions, failing to secure a victory in 14 Tests across four countries since their last win against Sri Lanka in 2014. Recognizing the importance of adapting to local conditions, the South African team has intensified their preparation.
“Cricket preps have been going well. We had a nice campaign in South Africa before we came here. So we feel like we are in a good space as a team. Yes, looking forward to the series,” Markram told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.
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We don’t get such conditions like this on home soil: Aiden Markram
Markram views this series as an exciting opportunity for growth and emphasizes the value of exposure to new conditions.
“For sure, spin obviously is a big talking point, especially being from South Africa. We don’t get such conditions like this on home soil. It’s an exciting challenge for us to face, especially as a team that’s relatively young and doesn’t play too many Test matches. It’s just an exciting thing as a player to be exposed to new conditions and learn most of the stuff that we love and take the lessons with us.” he added.
Markram expressed his optimism about the team’s prospects ahead of the series. While acknowledging the tough challenge ahead, Markram remains positive about South Africa’s chances.
“As a team, you always want to be quietly confident and you wanna be positive and upbeat that you can win games of cricket regardless of where you are in the world. We felt like we have good skills that can compete here in the sub-continent so like I have mentioned you have to do that for hours to earn a positive result in Test cricket. It doesn’t happen as quickly as in white-ball cricket. Definitely backing the squad that we have here to get the positive results and backing the skills that we have in the changed room,” he concluded.