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South Africa captain Aiden Markram pinpointed their performance in the middle overs, which resulted in their second T20I and the series defeat against the West Indies.
After failing to trouble the hosts in the first T20I, the Proteas stepped into Brian Lara Stadium to keep the series alive. With stakes running high, the 2024 T20 World Cup finalists set out to chase down 180 after putting the West Indies to bat. South Africa enjoyed a fiery start, with Reeza Hendricks unleashing a barrage of boundaries in the powerplay. However, after his dismissal, South Africa lost its entire momentum and crumbled from 129/3 to 149. The collapse ensured the West Indies took away the series with an emphatic 30-run win. "In the middle overs (where we lost). They bowled really well in the back end of the middle overs. They made scoring tough. Learning for us a squad," Markram said in the post-match presentation. From the 7th to the 15th over, South Africa lost their three key players, which completely derailed their hopes of chasing down 180. Skipper Markram (19), who had a promising start, hard-hitting Tristan Stubbs (28) and Donovan Ferreira (4), fell to West Indies bowlers' precision. Markram stated his intention to analyse the areas in which South Africa fell short and put on a better show than their previous two outings. "We'll identify areas where we can get better at. Looking forward to the next game, hopefully, we can put up a better show," he added. Apart from their batting collapse, South Africa had some positives to take away from the game. Right-arm quick Lizaad Williams picked up a three-wicket haul and dealt crucial blows to the Caribbean side in his four-over spell. "I have known him for quite a while, proper fighter, puts in a lot of work behind the scenes, glad he could grab his opportunity today," Markram noted. South Africa will look to avoid a series whitewash after the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3rd T20I on Tuesday. (ANI)
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