Markram misses ton on debut, stays upbeat
potchefstroom — South Africa debutant Aiden Markram looked on the bright side after a heartbreaking run out denied him a century on debut on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh on Thursday.
“I’m more than happy to take it,” he said at stumps on day one of his innings of 97 at Senwes Park.
“Had you asked me if I would take 97 last night I would have taken it with open arms, I’m more than happy with the 97.”
Markram, 22, appeared to be heading for a dream start to his Test career before he was caught out of his crease, backing up too quickly as he attempted to help opening partner Dean Elgar to reach a century.
Elgar was on 99 and looking for a quick single to get to three figures but, after a moment’s hesitation, he decided against a run, leaving Markram halfway up the crease and scrambling unsuccessfully to get back to safety.
The pair put on a 196-run opening partnership as they took advantage of a batsman-friendly track. “I’ve never really looked at the game from a selfish perspective,” Markram told reporters.
“I think I wanted it so badly for him (Elgar) that I got caught in noman’s land. It’s part of the game, you have to take it on the chin and move on. He was extremely upset. Dean and I have come a long way, we’ve developed a good friendship as well.” —