Aiden Markram, on Thursday, January 4, smashed his seventh hundred in Tests in South Africa’s second Test against India at the Newlands in Cape Town.
On a pitch that was tough for the batters, Markram did not throw in the towel. In the first session of the second day’s play, he got to the landmark off 99 balls. On the last ball of the 30th over, the right-hander creamed Jasprit Bumrah for a four through point to raise his arms in delight.
Markram was expected to be a key for the Proteas on Day 2 after he stayed unbeaten on 36 at stumps on the first day. Markram got to his half-century off 68 balls, but the other South African batters failed to counter Bumrah, who picked up his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests.
Thereafter, Markram started playing his shots and did not let the Indian batters dictate terms to him. He also put on 51 runs for the eighth wicket along with Kagiso Rabada, who was not ready to throw his wicket way either.
Markram, in the meantime, hit the joint fifth-fastest hundred by a South African in Tests. AB de Villiers, who retired from international cricket back in 2018, holds the record, having racked up a hundred off 75 balls against India at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Markram eventually got out to Mohammed Siraj after scoring 106 runs off 103 balls with the help of 17 fours and two sixes.
