Aiden Markram hopes that increasing the intensity of his training will help him cope with the quick highveld pitches. 

The 22-year-old opening batsman struggled to get going in the Newlands Test, scoring 5 and 34. But he was not alone, as both India and South Africa’s top six battled to handle the seamer-friendly wickets.

To solve this, Markram has prepared a unique plan to help him deal with the challenging pitches at Centurion and the Wanderers.

‘You have a game plan according to wickets and they might have to adapt to certain wickets,’ he said. ‘ I do not want to lose the intensity that I bat at, I keep it close to me and gauge it very often.

‘I generally feel that when I’m batting with the right intensity I move a bit better and my positions are stronger.

‘That’s something I challenge myself with and it starts with training,’ he continued. ‘Luckily we have a great attack to face and it’s never easy. To keep challenging my intensity is something I keep working on.

‘I still believe that batsmen can get runs here, it’s just going to be a challenge. I still think that if you apply yourself and play for long periods using your own game plan, there are runs to grab out there.’

Markram added that there is not much technically that either side could change due to the short break between the first and the second Test.

‘There were not many days to prepare for this game. For both sides, it’s about staying mentally fresh. That first Test was quite exhilarating and very up and down. We need to make sure we are nice and fresh and ready to go into battle.’

The second Test starts on Saturday at SuperSport Park at 10:00.

Watch Markram’s full press conference below: 

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