Proteas tapping into 'banker' Paterson

AIDEN Markram knows this final build-up week pretty well. The tension and excitement of it all bottled into one.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

Markram, of course, has gone through this all before when he led the Proteas - the only men’s South African captain ever - in the T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados last year.

Here at Lord’s though, where the Proteas are preparing to face Australia in the World Test Championship final starting on Wednesday, he drops down to Temba Bavuma’s lieutenant.

But that does nothing to diminish the importance of Markram’s calming influence on a group of players where the majority are tasting the rarified atmosphere of Lord's for the first time.

"It's got that (final) feel about it, for sure," Markram told reporters, on the outskirts of the Lord’s outfield.

"But it is a different feeling, to be very honest. I think it's because it's a one-off game where there hasn't been this sort of consecutive build-up to it.

So, it does feel slightly different, at least for the time being.