South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has told his batters to learn from Aiden Markram after Australia beat them by 214 runs in Durban. Markram faced 237 balls for 75 as South Africa tried to save the first Test, and no other home batter passed 50 in the match.
The innings Conrad wants copied is easy to describe and very hard to repeat. Batting to save a Test means switching off the scoreboard entirely, and that switch is where most of South Africa’s wickets were lost.
“Aiden showed us in the second innings that there’s nothing fancy about Test match cricket. That single-bloody-mindedness, where I’ve got to bat for a day and a half now, irrespective of what it looks like, some of our batters can take a leaf from his book.”
Shukri Conrad, media conference after the Durban Test, 14 October 2026
South Africa batters have something to learn from Aiden Markram, reckons head coach Shukri Conrad
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— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) October 14, 2026
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South Africa When you bat to save a Test, the target means nothing. Markram was never chasing 421. He was chasing the next drinks break, then lunch, then tea, with the overs left as the only number that mattered.
The danger is not the unplayable ball. It is the release shot after a long run of dot balls, when the mind says one boundary will ease the pressure. That is the mental corner Conrad spoke about, and a strike rate of 31 shows Markram refused to go there for almost six hours.
Where the Rest of South Africa’s Batting Fell Short
Markram resumed the final day on 45 not out with South Africa on 102/4. They resisted for almost two hours before Josh Hazlewood broke through on his way to a career-best 6/49. Once Mitchell Starc had Markram caught behind, the last four wickets fell for five runs.
| Batter | 1st innings | 2nd innings |
|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | 37 | 75 (237 balls) |
| David Bedingham | 49 | 46 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 32 | 1 |
| Kyle Verreynne | 13 | 1 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 0 | 2 |
Conrad said that, being brutally honest, a lot of the dismissals were mental rather than technical or tactical. He also admitted South Africa have long relied on Markram, Temba Bavuma and lower-order runs against good attacks.
The loss ended a run of 15 unbeaten Tests. The second Test starts on Sunday at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, where South Africa expect Kagiso Rabada back from a hamstring tear. Conrad said players in the squad deserve a chance, so changes are possible.
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