The Proteas have suffered one of the most humiliating series defeats by losing five One Day Internationals and this is the second time after 2002, when Australia toured the Proteas with Ricky Ponting leading the Kangaroos for the very first time. Aiden Markram's debut campaign as captain will surely be unforgettable as the Virat Kohli led Team India thrashed the Proteas in their own backyard, winning the six-match ODI series 5-1. Markram hopes that the T20 squad can do justice at home as the Men in Blue are currently on a rampage at the moment.
Markram said that the series had been tough on the hosts and it's something they have to look back at. In the final ODI at Centurion, India won the toss and opted to bowl first which placed the Proteas batsmen in a position they did not want to be. The South African batting line-up crumpled once again and this time faltered to the hands of pacer Shardul Thakur who collected four wickets. It was the first time he was brought into the playing XI in the six ODIs that India has played as he managed to claim the numbers of openers Hashim Amla and Markram, Farhaan Behardien and Andile Phehlukwayo.
The in-stand skipper who came in place of injured Faf du Plessis, said that the team would draw out reasons for their poor run in the limited overs format and will have to start from scratch to identify the problems.
"Quite a tough series. Something we have to look back at. Try to find the reasoning of why we haven't been as good as we know we can be. Back to the drawing board now," said Markram after the loss in Centurion.
Test batsman Markram who is not included in the three-match T20I series, hopes that the T20 squad can do the country proud as all-rounder JP Duminy takes charge in the shortest format of the game.
The Proteas batsmen have been bamboozled by the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal and have fallen to their spin in the limited overs format. It was in the rain hit 4th ODI where the Proteas managed to turn the tides by hammering the spinners, however the rest of the matches it was the young duo who have made the South Africa batsmen dance to their tunes.
Markram said that South Africa can learn a lesson from their humbling defeat to India and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"Hopefully the team which is playing the T20Is can do the country proud. If you look at them, their players have cashed in. We can learn a lesson from them. It's been tough no doubt. But we wouldn't want it any other way." said the in-stand Proteas skipper.
Markram, who made his debut as South Africa captain, said that the series defeat to India is how a budding skipper learns.
"That's how you learn as a young captain. If there's a time to learn, now would be it. It's a couple of months away still. Nice break away from this format. It gives us time to dig in and find out where we're coming short. Not a bad thing we have a break from 50-over cricket," concluded Markram.
India will now play South Africa in three T20I matches with the first match scheduled to be at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on February 18.
