South Africa, led by a magnificent century from captain Aiden Markram, pulled off a spectacular four-wicket victory against India in the second One-Day International on Wednesday. The Proteas successfully chased down a daunting target of 359 runs with four balls to spare, leveling the three-match series at 1-1.
Markram Redeems Himself With Match-Winning Knock
After feeling responsible for his team's loss in the first ODI in Ranchi, Aiden Markram rose to the occasion with a stellar 110-run innings. His knock was the cornerstone of South Africa's successful chase, helping them overhaul India's massive total of 358. Markram expressed that the win was crucial for his personal satisfaction, stating that runs only hold value when they contribute to a team victory.
"Runs only matter if you win games, to be fair, or at least for me. If we'd lost today, I'd be as miserable as I would have been in the previous game. Getting the result is something that makes me really happy," Markram said in the post-match presentation.
Young Guns Brevis and Breetzke Provide Vital Support
Markram's heroics were brilliantly complemented by two young batters. Dewald Brevis smashed a quickfire 54 runs off just 34 balls, injecting crucial momentum into the chase during the middle overs. At the other end, Matthew Breetzke played a mature and steady innings of 68 runs, providing the perfect foil and ensuring the required run rate never spiraled out of control.
Markram was full of praise for his younger teammates. He highlighted Brevis's fearless approach, saying, "Brevis hits the ball miles. He takes the game on. He's not afraid to put bowlers under pressure and as cricket lovers, I suppose it's great to watch."
He was particularly impressed with Breetzke's composure, noting, "Matthew Breetzke has had an incredible start to his ODI career... the way he batted today was like this guy's got at least 50 caps under his belt."
Setting the Stage for a Grand Series Finale
This thrilling win sets up a mouth-watering series decider, which will be played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. South Africa will now believe they can secure a rare ODI series win on Indian soil. Markram acknowledged the boost this victory gives the team's confidence for the final clash.
"All of it feels like it's very far away still, but belief and confidence are probably the two things that you can take as a group," Markram reflected. He added, "To chase quite a big number gives the group belief and confidence that the next time you're in that position, we've done it before and we can do it again."
The captain also shed light on the team's mindset during the high-pressure chase, explaining that there wasn't a complex collective plan. Instead, it was about each batter backing their own game and making smart individual decisions while constantly assessing the situation. This self-belief and tactical clarity proved to be the difference as South Africa sealed a memorable victory to keep the series alive.
