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'A Lot of Relief..,' Says Aiden Markram As SA Enter T20 World Cup Semis Defeating WI

SA defeated WI to enter the semifinal [AP]SA defeated WI to enter the semifinal [AP]

South Africa weathered the storm in Antigua and clinched a thrilling 3-wicket win over co-hosts West Indies to top Group 2 and secure a semifinal berth, leaving the Rovman Powell-led Windies heartbroken.

The Proteas' captain, Aiden Markram, expressed relief and highlighted key lessons after the nerve-wracking victory.

"I think a lot of relief ultimately to get through, to get to the semi-final," said Markram. "We would have liked to be a lot more convincing with the bat, especially after the rain break. We didn't take care of little partnerships to get us closer and then kill the game."

Markram praised the bowlers for restricting the West Indies to a below-par total.

"We started off strong with the ball, reading the conditions well and restricting them. With the bat, we probably tried to kill the game too early. Sometimes, building a partnership is necessary before going for big shots. Reflecting on this will be beneficial for our next game,” added the Proteas skipper.

Elaborating on their bowling strategy, Markram explained the decision to rely heavily on spin, particularly Tabraiz Shamsi, who took 3/27.

"We picked Shamsi for his mystery spin, which we identified as a possible opportunity. Once we saw it start spinning, we knew we needed to bowl as much spin as we could on this track," concluded Markram.

Coming to the WI vs SA highlights, South Africa opted to bowl first, restricting the Windies to 135/8 with early strikes from Jansen and Markram. 

Kyle Mayers (35) and Roston Chase (52) steadied the innings, but regular wickets, including Shamsi’s 3/27, kept the Windies in check.

Chasing 123 in 17 overs after rain, Quinton de Kock’s (12) quick start was halted by Andre Russell. Tristan Stubbs (29) and Heinrich Klaasen (22) kept the chase alive, but Chase’s three quick wickets brought the Windies back.

However, Jansen’s crucial 21* and Rabada’s key boundary clinched the victory, dashing West Indies’ hopes. 

As South Africa advance to the semi-finals, the Markram-led side will look to do everything to get their hands on the coveted trophy that has eluded them for so long.