Aiden Markram says Proteas batting coach Dale Benkenstein is not at fault for the poor batting display from the Proteas in their 5-1 series defeat to India. 

It is the first time India have won a bilateral ODI series in South Africa.

Brilliant top-order batting from India and poor batting from the Proteas determined the outcome of the former’s five victories.

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India’s top three scored a mammoth 1,051 runs. The Proteas’ entire top six, including contributions from Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, only managed 830.

Only one player in South Africa’s batting lineup managed a century (Du Plessis’ 120 in Durban) while India had a ton from Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma as well as three from their skipper Virat Kohli.

But should Benkenstein take the blame for the Proteas’ batting incompetence?

‘Not a lot at all, to be honest with you,’ said Markram. ‘Each player knows exactly what they need to do to deliver for the side.

‘The batting coach has been brilliant in terms of offering ideas and helping guys out in the nets. He’s got a really good cricket brain and gives some very valuable information.

‘It’s the players ourselves who have not done it justice. I don’t think he needs to take the blame for this. It’s completely down to the players.

‘He can only control so much. When the game happens, he sits on the side and doesn’t have much influence. It’s us as players who were at fault this series and it is something we will get better at.’

Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images