IND vs SA: Watch - Aiden Markram Dedicates Century To Dean Elgar, Gets Appreciated By Virat Kohli
Published - 04 Jan 2024, 05:30 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 10:20 AM
South African batter Aiden Markram who is filling up the opening slot for the injured captain Temba Bavuma, struck a very important century in the 3rd innings on Day 2 and went on to dedicate his brilliant knock to Dean Elgar who is all set to retire from Test cricket after this match.
On his farewell series, Elgar started the opening test on a high note, scoring 185 odd runs off 287 deliveries after India were bowled out for 245 in the 1st innings. His knock included 28 exquisitely struck fours and at one point he seemed to be absolutely unstoppable and looked well on course for a 200.
Meanwhile, during the second Test in Cape Town, Aiden Markram played one of the best innings in Test cricket history on South African soil and then dedicated his ton to Elgar in a beautiful moment. Virat Kohli was also impressed with the innings played by Markram and he came to appreciate the batter. Watch Here:
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However, he departed from the crease with a slight disappointment as Shardul Thakur led to his dismissal with an outside edge to the safe hands of KL Rahul. In that match, Aiden Markram came to open along with him but was able to score only 5 runs.
When India came out to bat to set up a target, South Africa’s bowling line-up relentlessly took them down and won the 1st test by an innings and 32 runs to deny India any chances of winning a Test series over there.
In the 2nd test, India walked out with an aim to equal the series and their bowlers showcased their intent right off. Mohammed Siraj’s 6 wicket haul, Mukesh Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah’s brace saw South Africa get all out for their 2nd ever lowest total in test cricket of 55.
India did not bat well either with 6 of its players going out for a duck. Virat Kohli yet again became the highest scorer with 46 but India were all out for 153. In South Africa’s final innings, Dean Elgar handed a simple catch to Virat Kohli in the slips and took the walk back in the dressing room, one last time for 12 runs.
Aiden Markram Becomes South Africa’s 6th Fastest Centurion
After Dean Elgar’s dismissal, Aiden Markram took charge from one end and started smacking the ball all over the park. He held on to his wicket very well and tried to be as resilient as he could be when wickets from the other end kept on going down.
Whenever a loose ball fell in front of him, Aiden Markram ensured that the ball at least touched the boundary cushions. He batted at a strike rate of 102 and accelerated his inning very well. He struck 17 fours and sent the ball skywards twice and completed a quickfire century off 99 balls to become South Africa’s 6th fastest centurion in test cricket.
Aiden Markram could have carried on further but as his partners on the other end kept changing, the only thing he was trying to do was score as many as he could. In the end, he departed after a stellar 106 off 103 balls but the Proteas have asked India to chase down 79 runs, a target that should not pose much difficulties for the visitors.
