Any win against a top team drains you: Aiden Markram

AHMEDABAD: South Africa have emerged as a strong contender for the World Cup title, but Aiden Markram feels the campaign has been a tiring one. “New Zealand, India and West Indies are quality team and to put in strong performances against sides like that gives you confidence,” Markram said.“But it honestly doesn’t feel easy. Every game drains you. The intensity is seriously high and you know things can change very quickly in T20 cricket. You wake up the next morning and it can all be over in a couple of days.”

Markram credited the bowlers for keeping the big hitting West Indies to 176/8. He was effusive in his praise for allrounder Corbin Bosch, who nailed perfect yorkers in the final over and gave away just five runs. “He keeps it really simple, trains smartly and doesn’t give himself too many options,” Markram said.West Indies captain Shai Hope backed the aggressive batting approach even though the top order collapsed on Thursday. “There’s always some element of risk whenever you’re batting. So if you want to challenge the opposition, then you’ve got to find runs, especially on a surface like that which is so good. You still have to measure the risks in some way. If we just bat deep and only get 150-160 on a surface like that, it is always going to be tough work,” Hope said.