Former South African international Herschelle Gibbs has called for captain Aiden Markram to sit out the final two T20I matches against India. Markram’s struggles with the bat have been evident in this series, with scores of just eight and three in the first two games. Gibbs, observing Markram’s prolonged dry spell—he hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 26 games—believes a break might benefit both the player and the team, suggesting Markram take on the role of the 12th man for the upcoming matches.
Herschelle Gibbs shared his perspective on social media platform X, noting India’s missed opportunity to secure a 2-0 lead in the series in Gqeberha. He pointed out that the final two games in Centurion and Johannesburg are likely to be high-scoring affairs, adding an element of unpredictability to the series’ outcome.
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When asked by a fan about South Africa’s ideal batting order, Herschelle Gibbs was clear in his response, leaving out Markram from his suggested lineup. Despite his recent form, Markram has received widespread praise for leading South Africa to the T20 World Cup final, a commendable achievement for the 30-year-old captain.
Will be someone in the top three of both sides
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) November 13, 2024
However, his current struggle with both pace and spin has been noticeable. In the second T20I, Markram fell to Varun Chakravarthy, after previously looking unsettled against the Indian pacers. In particular, Arshdeep Singh’s bowling appeared to unnerve him, ultimately leading to his dismissal.
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As the teams prepare for the third T20I, India will be eager to bounce back after their batting lineup underperformed in the second game, managing only 124 runs. The spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, however, delivered a strong performance, taking six wickets between them. India’s bowlers, particularly the spinners, will be pivotal as they look to take a crucial lead in this tightly contested series.
