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RAWALPINDI: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram expressed confidence in his side’s ability to counter the spin challenge and bounce back against Pakistan in the second Test, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Markram lavished praise on Keshav Maharaj, who is set to return after missing out on the first Test in Lahore.
“Kesh is available, that’s why he’s here. It’s great to have him back in the camp — he brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” he told reporters in the pre-match presser.
“For us, it’s very important to try and level the series, and we’re looking forward to this game starting tomorrow,” he continued.
South Africa were outplayed by spin from Pakistan in the first Test played at the Gaddafi Stadium. Noman Ali starred in the match with a ten-wicket haul, troubling the Proteas batter with his magical spin bowling.
Markram admitted that he is ready to face more spin, and they have plans to counter the threat posed by the home side spinners.
“We’re expecting more spin; the wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we’ve expected these types of conditions from day one. It’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter that,” he explained.
Regarding his batting, the South Africa skipper emphasized net practice and stated that he is in good shape to score vital runs for his team.
“I’ve been feeling good, spending time in the nets trying to come up with ideas that suit my game in these conditions. I feel like I’m mentally in a really good space and very hungry to contribute and lead from the front.”
The 31-year-old remained confident in his side’s chances to avoid a 2-0 clean sweep.
“When you get to spinning conditions, the guessing game is always how long till it really starts to spin exaggeratedly, so we’ll have to assess that as quickly as we can.
We know how this game works — it doesn’t always come off — but I’ll always live and die with my heart on my sleeve and give it a good fight.,” Aiden Markram concluded.
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