South Africa vs Australia 2nd Test Day 3: Live Score and Updates from Gqeberh

14:28 IST:

Aiden Markram talks to Natalie Germanos – Markram says the preparations for this match have been good. He shares that they also had a couple of productive sessions. He also feels that the extra day made a big difference to the camp in South Africa. According to him, the preparation went very well. Details that the weather was gorgeous during construction, although it doesn’t look all that great at the moment. As for how the surface might behave, he notes that it’s something the party will have to assess at this point, find themselves in the first few operations, and shape their plans from there. He doesn’t want the team to come in with preconceived ideas. He also says there’s a general understanding of how the wicket plays in Port Elizabeth that lingers in the back of the mind, but with the weather around and a really warm build-up, that kind of call is tricky. Finally, he says that he will decide everything in the middle. Markram even admits that he was thinking about it in bed last night and didn’t remember much about how the wicket is played here. What he does know is that he loves to play cricket in any format, for any team and stadium, he usually brings good fun and good energy. He adds that he and the boys are looking forward to it and are really hungry to get a good result over the next five days. Reflecting on the previous game, Markram credits Australia for getting off to a good start, which South Africa haven’t always managed in recent times. He admits they can be slow, although he’s impressed his side has started this time. He concedes that the opposition played nicely with the ball a bit softer and produced better cricket over a longer period. He mentions that South Africa showed flashes of organized, quality play but could not stretch it enough to put pressure on them. What he says is what ends up happening. They don’t believe that a new skill set can be developed in three days. They talk about the plan is to support what got them here, to support the methods that they believe can bring success on this ground, and to sustain it for a really long time of playing. If they can do that, Markram feels they are giving themselves a good chance.