South Africa won their first major ICC title in senior men's cricket as they beat Australia by five wickets. They won the match on the back of Aiden Markram's brilliant ton and Temba Bavuma's gritty half-century.
Australia posted a target of 282 runs for South Africa to win the WTC final. They did it in style and won the match by five wickets. Bavuma and Markram added a 147-run stand to lay the platform for the win.
The Proteas needed 69 runs to win on day four and it was Kyle Verreynne who hit the winning runs for the Proteas with David Bedingham unbeaten on 21 runs off 49 balls. Markram was dismissed on day four on 136 while Bavuma was eventually dismissed on 66.
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Wishes Galore On South Africa's WTC Title Win
South Africa won the ICC Knockout Trophy in 1998. It is after 27 years that the Proteas won their next major ICC title. Bavuma and Markram were the architects of this massive win for the Proteas.
Temba Bavuma became the first South African skipper since Hansie Cronje in 1998 to win a first major ICC Trophy for the Proteas. Till date South Africa faltered in the semi-finals of every major ICC title. In the last three major ICC events, South Africa reached the semi-final of the ODI World Cup and the final of the T20 World Cup. Finally, they tasted success by winning the WTC final.
Led by Sachin Tendulkar, the cricketing universe congratulated South Africa for their massive win. Several former and current cricketers from all across the globe celebrated South Africa's winning moment.
“Test cricket continues to weave its magic. In a final where every session had its own story, @ProteasMenCSA found calm in the storm. Markram’s composure and Bavuma’s grit under pressure stood tall in the fourth innings,” Tendulkar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"A century that will be remembered, a partnership that turned hope into history. Congratulations to South Africa on becoming World Test Champions! #WTC25," he added.
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Bavuma, Markram React To South Africa's Win
Bavuma and Markram spoke about the importance of this win after the game. Skipper Temba Bavuma said that the win was a special moment for the team as a whole.
"It has been a special couple of days, at some point, felt like we were back in South Africa with all the support in the stands. We have prepared hard for this, we have worked hard for this moment. We came here with a lot of belief but also with a lot of doubters and we are happy that we were able to play well enough to get that type of result. Special moment for us as a team, special moment for the people back home, probably will really sink in a couple of days but it's been special" Bavuma said.
Aiden Markram admitted saying that this remains his most important knock for South Africa in international cricket and to do it at Lord's was a special feeling.
"(On if he’s scored more important runs ever) Not at all. Weird how things work out if you get a duck in the first innings and you come into the second innings, quite a few concerns. Ultimately you need a bit of luck here and there, spent some time in the middle and find runs, grateful things worked out quite nicely. It will yes. Lord's is the place every Test cricketer wants to play. All the members here, also plenty of South African fans have made the trip and it was one of the most special days" said Markram.
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