Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram searching for a plan on tough surfaces in India

Proteas captain Aiden Markram believes his team needs to find a way to transfer the pressure on to India in the remaining two T20Is.

The visitors have encountered bowler-friendly conditions in the first and third T20Is, and have come up short in both those matches. It was only on the placid Cuttack surface served up for the second match could the Proteas’ batters prosper. 

Markram tried to hold it together in the third T20I in Dharamsala, but did not have sufficient partners to build a genuinely competitive score as the Proteas went down by seven wickets to trail in the series 2-1. 

"There's a reason it's a low scoring day, because the conditions are quite tough and the pressure is never off you. It is difficult to score, because naturally the field is tighter, you face more dot balls than you would on a flat wicket, so it comes with its own challenges," said Markram.

“Tough conditions. They got the ball in the right areas and before you know it we were 4-5 down. If we get similar conditions, we have to put pressure back.”

Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince pointed out after the opening game of the series, when the visitors were cleaned up for a record low 74, that the batters needed to adapt to the conditions on the day. 

Markram now concurred after the second batting blowout. 

"To the eye looked a bit wicked and to the India camp it looked the same. It was challenging, but you can come across conditions like this, and you have to have a plan as a unit to deliver a competitive score," he said.

The skipper also stressed the importance of the Proteas not retreating and approaching the game in a negative manner. He was adamant that the batting unit remain positive in their intent, regardless of the surface.

“I tried to take it deep. Whole time I thought if I got us to 140-150 it'd have been a closer game. I back myself to hit the ball I got out to at the death, generally. Picking a bowler on the night is how you go about it, “Markram said. 

“When the match-up comes, you take it on. You want to take out negative speech like 'keep the ball on the floor'.”

The Proteas will hope to take heed of all these lessons and try to bounce back in Lucknow on Wednesday in order to set up a series decider in the fifth and final game in Ahmedabad on Friday.