PRETORIA – Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram notched up the first hundred run stand for the opening wicket for the Proteas in three years as the hosts made rapid progress towards Sri Lanka’s big first innings total in the first Test.
Markram and Elgar shared a stand of 141, with runs coming at a rate of nearly five an over, to provide South Africa with a reassuring start, after Sri Lanka were dismissed for 396 an hour into the first session of play on Sunday. It had been three years, 22 Tests and 43 innings since South Africa’s openers had last registered an opening stand of 100 or more runs.
That came against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein in 2017, with Elgar and Markram, who was playing in his second Test, putting on 243. Since then it’s been a struggle, partly to do with the kinds of pitches being prepared – which were livelier than usual especially during Ottis Gibson’s coaching tenure – and a loss of confidence and form for Markram.
Markram is very much in form now however, and produced some sparkling shotmaking in an innings that really should been more than what it ended up being. He dominated Sri Lanka’s bowling – which matched South Africa’s from the first day in terms of inconsistency – b y driving elegantly through the covers and when the lines of tourists straightened, clipping them stylishly through the leg-side.
Elgar was more prepared to scrap – as is his wont – but did got to his 50 - the 16th of his career with a trio of boundaries; two either side of square leg and the other through point off of debutant leg-spinner, Wanindu Hasaranga.
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Markram ran out of patience against the left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando, who bowl around the wicket, initially looking to target the batsmen. His sucker ball, was wide of off-stump and although Markam shouldered arms to two of them, he chased a third, and a thickened edged drive flew to Dasun Shanaka at gully.
Markram’s 68 should have been much more and his body language said as much as he hung his head and cursed his own impatience.
At tea, with heavy clouds blowing in from the south of Centurion, South Africa were 180/1 with Elgar dominant on 86 and rassie van der Dussen on 8.
IOL Sport