Aiden Markram has a lopsided record in Test cricket for South Africa with a few bizarre statistics clouding his overall performance in the format.
To start with despite struggling to build any great form in Test cricket over the last two years, Markram is South Africa’s top-scoring batter in the format since 2022.
He is the only Proteas batter to score more than one century in the last two years but he heads a very disappointing column of efforts from South Africa.
A lack of Test cricket being played by the Proteas certainly hasn’t helped Markram build any sort of momentum.
It certainly makes little to no sense to call for Markram to be left out of the Test team but considering his massive potential and ability it could certainly be argued that he has underperformed.
Markram is set to play an important role for the Proteas across the home Test summer as the established opening batter in the team.
He has a much better record batting at home in Test cricket, scoring 1914 runs at an average of 43.50 he has scored six hundreds and eight fifties in those matches passing 50 in 14 of his 45 innings.
Markram’s home record is good, perhaps pushing towards very good and he has shown an ability to get on top of the bowling attack and dictate terms for the Proteas.
Away from home Markram has looked at sea with his four ducks in 26 innings matching his tally of 50 plus scores.
Another impressive home summer is called for at the moment as Shukri Conrad looks to get this team competing for the World Test Championship and building long-term strength in the format.
Markram started his Test opening career with stalwart Dean Elgar up the other end which has aided him but now he will be asked to step up as the senior partner.
While Markram is the top performer for the Proteas, the team still needs to get more out of him, especially if they are to find a way to amass the kind of runs that the team will need to stay in the game against better opponents.
Markram has that potential to snatch the impetus from the opposition which is a vital skill for any Test batter, but especially an opener who needs to find a way to turn the tables on the new-ball bowlers.
His total of 39 Tests played over seven years tells the story of South African cricket. In the same time Australia’s top batters have played between 49 and 53 Tests, pushing their development as red-ball batters along.
Markram had a middling series in the Caribbean which puts him under a bit of pressure coming into the home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
While giving him the axe makes no sense, it would serve the Proteas well to make sure they are able to get the most out of Markram.
