India vs South Africa: Not Easy To Tour Indian Sub-Continent But Team Is Ready To Conquer, Says Aiden Markram
India vs South Africa: Aiden Markram didn't shy away from accepting that some of the players who lost the Test series against India in 2015 "might still be carrying a bit of baggage".
Highlights
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Aiden Markram didn't feature in the just-concluded T20I series
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Markram said touring any country in the sub-continent is not easy
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The first match of the three-Test series will be played in Vizag
The India vs South Africa series enters its second leg as both teams are preparing to take on each other in the three-Test series, starting on October 2 in Vizag. South Africa opener Aiden Markram accepted that touring any country in the Indian sub-continent is not that easy as teams must overcome several external factors other than the playing conditions, acclimatisation to hot weather being one of them. Markram, however, insisted that their players can hope for a rewarding outcome if they can conquer the challenges at hand.
"I think it's never an easy tour coming to anywhere in the subcontinent, let alone India. It's full of challenges, but if we can conquer those challenges it will be really rewarding," Markram was quoted as saying by icc-cricket.com.
South Africa suffered a humiliating defeat when they last visited India for a Test series. Indian team dominated throughout the three-Test series and won all the matches in 2015.
Markram was not part of the touring side back then but clearly remembers that the tour was "incredibly difficult". He didn't shy away from accepting that some of the players who played in that series "might still be carrying a bit of baggage" from the humbling defeat but added that the players are ready to overcome their mistakes change their fate this time around.
"I remember watching that series a few years ago and it looked incredibly difficult. And I'm sure there's a bit of baggage that certain players that were on that tour might still be carrying but that's completely fine," Markram said recalling the 2015 Test series defeat.
Markram is new to the international circuit and has played only 17 Tests so far and scored 1358 runs at 43.80.
Markram didn't feature in the just-concluded Twenty20 International series between the two sides as he was preparing himself for the Test matches by playing warm-up games against India A. He scored 161 in the second unofficial Test against India A which ended in a draw.
The first match of the three-Test series will be played at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vizag.
Aiden Markram
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team