It'll take some time for us to have a reflection on a really good campaign: Markram

South Africa had never come this far in a World Cup, and they had no business losing the game after Axar Patel conceded 24 runs in one over. However, in one of the greatest comebacks ever, the trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh restricted South Africa and helped India to their second World Cup title. 

That, however, wouldn’t take anything away from the incredible campaign that South Africa. Winning eight consecutive games meant South Africa didn’t lose their path mid-way and were on course to win their first senior men’s World Cup Trophy. While gutted, Aiden Markram applauded his side for the kind of resilience they had in the T20 World Cup.

“Gutted for the time being. It'll take some time for us to have a really good reflection on a really good campaign the group had. Obviously for the time being, like I mentioned, it hurts quite a bit. Having said that, I'm incredibly proud of this group of players and everyone involved with the team,” Aiden Markram said in the post-match interview.

“I feel they bowled well. Don't think there was a whole lot to work with with regards to the pitch. Thought they did well to restrict them to what we thought was a chaseable total. Thought we batted really well as well, and it came down to the wire.”

The way India pulled things back in the final overs will be told for years to come - and that also put scoreboard pressure on South Africa. The baggage of the past came back to crush them, which the South African skipper acknowledged publicly.

“Really good game of cricket. We've seen with a lot of our games in this campaign - it's never over till the last ball is bowled. We never got comfortable, there's always an element of scoreboard pressure. And especially at the back end, things happen quite quickly and can turn quite quickly as well. 

“Having said that, we got into a great position which proves we're worthy finalists. Could've won the game today. Unfortunately, we didn't. Still, like I mentioned, incredibly proud of the group,” said the 29-year-old.

An emotional Markram further added that he’s looking forward to a newer future for South Africa by taking inspiration from the campaign.

“One thing guaranteed about a South African, wherever they are in the world, is that they're a really competitive, really respectful, and a person who'll go down with a fight. Hopefully, looking forward, we can draw a lot from those few things and keep putting the skill side of the sport to good use. It's still a proud moment for us,” said the Proteas skipper.

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