It was supposed to be a fresh chapter for England in the one-day arena, but the series opener against South Africa turned into a nightmare. All eyes were on young debutant Sonny Baker, but instead of a dream start, he found himself the target of Aiden Markram’s blistering assault, as the Proteas romped to a seven-wicket win with 175 balls to spare.

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England’s batting, so often criticized for inconsistency, completely unraveled. Bowled out for just 131 in 24.3 overs, they never recovered from the early loss of Ben Duckett and the cheap dismissals that followed. Only Jamie Smith showed any resistance, carving out a battling 54 before a brilliant catch from Corbin Bosch ended his fight.

The real destruction, however, came from Keshav Maharaj. Officially ranked the ICC’s No.1 ODI bowler, Maharaj dismantled England’s middle order with a mesmerizing spell of 4 for 33. In just 33 deliveries, he reduced a strong batting lineup to rubble, ensuring the hosts collapsed spectacularly, losing their last seven wickets for only 29 runs.

Even fielding was a reminder of the gulf between the two sides. Temba Bavuma’s men produced sharp catches and run-outs, with Markram himself diving to remove Jofra Archer and Tristan Stubbs firing in a pinpoint throw to dismiss Harry Brook.

Brook later admitted England had no excuses, despite their rushed preparation following the Hundred final just 48 hours earlier. “We’re not a team that makes excuses,” he told reporters. “We’ve just got to crack on and put that performance behind us.”

For Baker, the day will be remembered with mixed emotions. Thrown the new ball in his very first ODI, he was pummelled for 56 runs in his first four overs, with Markram plundering 45 of them. To his credit, the 20-year-old returned for a second spell and showed resilience, but by then the damage was long done. Brook defended his teammate: “He got a bit of tap at the start but the way he kept cracking on and digging deep was awesome to see.”

England could have clawed back some control had fortune favored them. An edge from Ryan Rickelton fell inches short of Joe Root, and a subsequent lbw shout against the opener was not reviewed despite clear evidence in Archer’s favor. Small margins went against them, but it was the larger collapse that defined the day.

South Africa’s preparations had looked shaky, arriving from a long trip via Australia, Singapore, and London, but once on the field they looked sharper, fresher, and vastly superior. For England, jet lag wasn’t the excuse—it was poor application, poor execution, and the kind of collapse that has haunted them for years.

The series is far from over, but unless England rediscover discipline with both bat and ball, Markram’s statement innings and Maharaj’s ruthless spell could set the tone for another chastening campaign.