Aiden Markram says his opening partnership with Dean Elgar has helped him to settle into the Proteas Test side. 

Markram has come a long way since captaining SA U19 to the World Cup title in 2014. He made his debut for the Titans in 2016 and his Test debut for the Proteas in 2017.

The 22-year-old scored 419 runs in his first four Tests, including centuries against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

His first challenging Test was a little more tricky, in trying conditions at Newlands against India, the No 1 Test side in the world.

Markram admitted the past couple of years have been a frenzy, but that his partnership with his Titans teammate, Elgar, has helped him calm the jitters.

‘It’s been a roller coaster these last couple of years but certainly an enjoyable one. I learned a lot about myself and my game in the last two years,’ said Markram at a press conference on Thursday.

‘Fortunately, at a young age, I have been lucky enough to rub shoulders with legends of the game. Most importantly I have kept learning.

‘Dean is a massive help,’ he added. ‘We’ve come a long way. We bat together for the Titans and he helps me stay calm. It’s great to have something familiar among a lot of unfamiliarities for me.’

The Proteas batsmen struggled to cope with the Newlands pitch, which was labelled as unplayable at times by Faf du Plessis, but Markham believes they are capable of producing partnerships at Centurion and the Wanderers.

‘It’s different for everyone and we all have to adapt to the conditions,’ he said. ‘This is something your partners have to understand – knowing when you getting a bit loose and when we have to raise your intensity.’

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Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images