Captain Aiden Markram says the Proteas “must find ways to be better” on Pakistan pitches after losing the first Test in Lahore.
South Africa’s 10-match winning streak in Test cricket came to an end with a 93-run defeat at the Gaddafi Stadium, where the turning pitch proved decisive.
Chasing 226 for victory on day four, the Test world champions were bowled out for 183 despite a fighting 73-run stand between Ryan Rickelton (45) and Dewald Brevis (54).
Speaking after the match, Markram said the team knew conditions would be difficult but backed their effort.
“We had a good winning streak going and we lost a game of cricket, and that’s how the game and the world of sport works,” said Markram. “We had plans, we gave it our absolute all and we were on the wrong side of it. By all means, let bygones be bygones and look forward to that second Test match.”
Pakistan won the toss and batted first on a surface expected to deteriorate – something the Proteas captain acknowledged had a major influence.
“You can’t control which way the coin is going to land, but I think it’s important to have ways to win games of cricket even if you don’t get the toss right,” he said. “It’s on us now as a group to go back and find ways to be better and to give ourselves a chance to win.”
HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan vs Proteas (1st Test, Day 4)
While the batting unit struggled, there were bright spots – notably Tony de Zorzi’s 104 in the first innings and Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden 10-wicket haul.
“They worked really hard at their games,” Markram said. “For South Africans to come here and do as well as they did is a big feather in their cap.”
Markram admitted that the team must improve their execution on subcontinental wickets.
“Although we weren’t on the right side of it, we showed some good fight and resilience,” he added. “There were a couple of small moments in the game that could’ve gone either way. Batting here is going to be tricky, but it’s highly possible – there are ways to score runs here.”
The second and final Test starts in Rawalpindi next Monday.
Photo: Sameer Ali/Getty Images
