IND vs SA: Baggage biggest mountain in Aiden Markram's redemption arc in T20 World Cup

IND vs SA: Baggage biggest mountain in Aiden Markram's redemption arc in T20 World Cup

One of the journalists attending South Africa captain Aiden Markram's pre-match press conference thought that he would be a little cheeky today. The Protea captain was asked about his feelings on the final match between South Africa, who have earned the tag of 'chokers' in world cricket and India, who have choked in crucial moments over the last decade.

It was a valid question, of course, given that both teams had to grind it out to win matches in the tournament and deservedly claim a spot in the final of T20 World Cup 2024. Markram did not take any offence to the question but rather gave a very logical breakdown of what he thought the T20 World Cup 2024 final represented to him.

IND v SA, T20 World Cup Final: Prediction

"Probably just see it as a new game of cricket, to be honest. We all know India's a great team. Us as a team, as South Africans, have been sort of trending in the right direction the last couple of years, but maybe not progressed in tournaments as far as we would have liked. So, an exciting occasion tomorrow against a good opposition in India, but a nice opportunity for us as the proteas as well," Markram said in the pre-match press conference.

SOUTH AFRICA'S CHARACTER

The T20 World Cup 2024 is South Africa's second knockout appearance in back-to-back white-ball tournaments. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, South Africa made quite a stir. However, they faltered in the semi-final after being put under immense pressure by the Australia spinners at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

IND vs SA final: Preview

That, however, seems to have changed. South Africa have won matches from positions where they seemed to have given up. One of the trends in this South Africa team in the T20 World Cup is that the batting has always underperformed. It made sense in New York, in the group stages, where the pitches were atrocious, but later in the Super 8 stages, South Africa did not look like the free-hitting - 200-scoring team which they actually are.

Only against the USA, South Africa scored 194 runs, but even in that game, they were horribly out of touch in the last 6 overs of their innings.

Where South Africa have shined is in giving away matches from a position of strength, to dragging it back at the very last minute. Take for example, the same game against the USA. South Africa, while defending 195, had reduced USA to 76/5 in the 12th over of the match. One would assume that a Test-playing nation would wrap the USA innings up by 110-120 runs.

But no.

South Africa decided that they would give away 90 runs in the next 7 overs, helping USA back into the game. Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi had really forgetful spells and USA ended up dragging the match back into their favour.

However, South Africa, in the 19th over of the match, remembered that they were the Proteas after all and destroyed the US rebellion, winning the match by 18 runs.

Markram was asked about the tendency of South Africa finding themselves in tough spots, and then dragging themselves back into the competition. The brave South Africa captain did not shy away from the question and said that South Africa had gained a lot of confidence from the tough wins, and the feeling inside the camp was that they were kind of indestructible.

"I think there's been close moments in games that would have probably affected the result, and we managed to win those moments. To have done them two, three, maybe four times throughout the competition so far has sort of given the team the belief that you can win from any position, which I think is quite important for a team to have that. Guys we've been together now for quite a few years as a squad, as a white ball squad, and guys finally really understanding their roles within the team and I think that's starting to help us win those like small margins and those knife-edge moments," Markram said about his team's character.

T20 World Cup Coverage|Points Table|T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule|Player Stats

MARKRAM'S BAGGAGE

Confidence plays a massive role in a cricketer's performance. When you ride high in confidence, balls flying off the edges go for a six. But when you are running low, a harmless ball on the leg stump might take the edge and fly into the keeper's hands down the leg side.

Markram knows this the best. Markram had a great run in the ODI World Cup 2023, scoring 406 runs and representing South Africa in the semi-final of the tournament. From there on, Markram went to win the SA20 as the captain of SunRisers Eastern Cape, his second title in a row. The batting all-rounder was, however, unceremoniously dropped from the SRH captaincy due to the emergence of Pat Cummins in the set-up. This led to a massive drop in confidence and Markram finished his Indian Premier League season with just 220 runs to his name at a strike-rate of 124 - atrocious figures given SRH's penchant for scoring 200+ totals in the tournament.

Now that Pat Cummins and Australia are out of the tournament, this might be a perfect opportunity for Markram to step up and show the world that they might just have grossly undervalued him.

Not only is Markram an able batter, he is a good enough bowler to play the third spinner's role for South Africa. In this World Cup, Markram has shown that he can win matches just by his fielding alone. Against England, the world saw its prime example, when Markram caught Brook while running behind from mid-off to change the complexion of the game.

The SA captain will have the support of the former players and skippers, who have vocally come out and proudly supported the SA team in this World Cup.

"Yeah, there's been a lot of support back home or from back home from past players which is special for us as a group. They are the guys that inspired us when we were younger and to now be firstly making them proud, but also having their support obviously means a hell of a lot to us as a team. I don't see it as it was me that got us into this position at all. It's been a squad effort and a squad that's been together for a few years now that's been on a journey and the journey has now finally got us here to our first final which is a proud and special feeling not just for me but for everyone involved in the squad," Markram concluded in the press conference.

For South Africa to win this World Cup, the biggest mountain that they have to climb is the pressure that they have put on themselves. If the tag of chokers plays on their mind, South Africa would be in real trouble against India. And for that not to affect them, Markram has to let go of the baggage that he carries on himself. The pain that he has never once spoken about in public or in the media. He might have lost his captaincy to Pat Cummins at SRH, but this is possibly the biggest stage that fate has set for the South Africa captain to carve out his redemption arc.

After all, as a captain, Markram's record is stellar. It goes back before the eight wins at T20 World Cup 2024, two wins in as many starts as skipper in the absence of injured Temba Bavuma at ODI World Cup 2023, having also gone six from six 10 years ago as the Proteas won the 2014 edition of the Under 19 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

And it would be quite poetic, if the 29-year-old is able to pull of a rabbit out of the hat to hand South Africa their first-ever T20 World Cup title in the history of the game.

Watch Live TV in English

Watch Live TV in Hindi