Watch: Aiden Markram Nearly Cries After Quinton de Kock Drops Pat Cummins

South Africa National Cricket Team vice-captain Aiden Markram tried very hard and gave it all with the ball in the second semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia National Cricket Team at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

Aiden Markram wasn’t able to create any impact with the bat in the high-octane encounter against the Aussies. He scored just 10 runs off 20 balls, with 2 boundaries, before being dismissed by the premier left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc.

However, Aiden Markram contributed exceptionally with the ball. He got the first breakthrough for his side by dismissing David Warner which opened the floodgates. Overall, he finished with an amazing bowling figures of 8-1-23-1. He gave runs at an economy of 2.87.

The 29-year-old was trying very hard to break the partnership between the Australian lower-order batters – Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins – and he even created a chance in the 45th over. He bowled a tossed-up delivery outside off-stump and Pat Cummins went for a drive. The Australian skipper just managed to get a feather of an inside edge on it and Proteas wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock wasn’t able to hold onto the ball.

Aiden Markram was shattered after the dropped chance and he nearly cried, before controlling his tears and bowling the rest of the four deliveries of the over.

Watch: Aiden Markram Almost Cries In World Cup 2023 Semi-Final

 

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In the end, South Africa faced yet another heartbreak in the semi-final of a World Cup as the Aussies won the match by 3 wickets. Speaking after the match, Temba Bavuma lauded Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj for putting the Australian Team under pressure. Temba Bavuma said:

“They got 70-odd in the first 10 and that really allowed the rest of the guys to settle. Markram and Maharaj were fantastic and they really put them under pressure. We had chances, tough chances that we put down, it could’ve been a bit close had we held on to them.”

Temba Bavuma further spoke of Gerald Coetzee, who was the top wicket-taker for South Africa in the World Cup 2023, and Quinton de Kock, who has now retired from ODI cricket. Temba Bavuma said:

“As a young guy, he (Coetzee) really was the warrior for us, there wasn’t much happening for the seamers then but for him to come round the wicket and to take the wicket of Smith was incredible. He was cramping but he still wanted to keep bowling. Quinton would’ve probably wanted to end his career on a different note, despite the result I think he’ll remember his time. He’ll go down as one of the greatest in South African cricket.”