'Some honest reflections needed': Aiden Markram angry on South Africa players after India series defeat

Aiden Markram-led South Africa hosted the Suryakumar Yadav-led India on Friday, November 15, in the fourth and final T20I match of the series at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Aiden Markram's South Africa National Cricket Team faced a humiliating 135-run loss in the match against the Men In Blue and lost the series by 1-3.

Also Read: Watch: Arshdeep Singh gets injured in 4th T20I vs SA in a huge blow for India

South Africa were demolished by India in the 4th T20I

The Proteas lost the toss and were invited to bowl first in the match. The South African bowlers were made to look clueless by Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson as the Indian batters brought out their beast mode.

Tilak and Samson smashed the bowlers all over the park and hit terrific centuries. All the South African bowlers conceded runs at an economy of over 10, with only Lutho Sipamla managing to pick a wicket.

Quite hard to be honest - Aiden Markram

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Aiden Markram said that it was hard for him to be on the losing side and accepted that they were completely outplayed by the Indian team. He said:

"Quite hard to be honest. Completely outplayed in all three aspects of the game. Have to give them credit, bat and ball they put us under pressure and it was tough for us to come back."

Aiden Markram further sent a bold message to his players, especially bowlers do some honest reflections and get better. Aiden Markram stated:

"Some honest reflections need to be done. Nowadays you can't be just hitting stumps, you need to bowl wide lines and certain plans you need to come up with. One or two we might miss but it's part of the growth for this team and in the long run as we build up to 2026, we can hopefully get it right. It's busy.

"As a team we will have a good reflection, as a white-ball team we have some time off, get stuck into some work and ultimately come back better players with better skills and with better execution."

In the end, Aiden Markram named Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee as the two biggest positives for South Africa from the T20I series against India. Aiden Markram said:

"It's up to each individual as to where they want to go and where they want to invest in. Marco Jansen was incredible this series, Gerald Coetzee as well, it's not easy in the Highveld, the never-say-die attitude from them and that's the bits and pieces we can pick up and move forward as a team."

How South Africa Performed in Previous 3 Matches Against India?

In their previous T20I clashes, South Africa displayed varied performances against India. In the first T20I in Durban, the hosts struggled to keep up with India’s huge score of 202, folding at 141 in just 17.5 overs.

Sanju Samson’s powerful 107 off 50 balls set the tone for India, while South Africa’s batting lineup faltered under pressure. Despite promising starts from players like Ryan Rickelton and Heinrich Klaasen, they lost wickets at regular intervals, unable to mount a serious comeback.

In the second T20I in Gqeberha, South Africa secured a win by three wickets with six balls remaining. India managed a modest total of 124, and although South Africa encountered difficulties against Varun Chakravarthy’s disciplined bowling (5/17), Tristan Stubbs held his ground with an unbeaten 47 to guide the team to victory.

In the third T20I in Centurion, South Africa fought hard chasing a target of 220. Marco Jansen’s rapid 54 off 17 balls brought them within striking distance, but they fell short by 11 runs, ending at 208/7. Consistent contributions from their top order showed promise, yet India’s controlled bowling during the death overs halted their chase just shy of victory.