The choker tag has finally been put to rest. South Africa, cricket’s perennial underachievers, finally have a trophy to show. They defeated Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Saturday. After countless heartbreaks in ICC events, the Temba Bavuma-led side conquered their nerves. They tamed Australia’s famed bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon.
Chasing 282, Aiden Markram and captain Bavuma brought their A-game in the final innings. They left the mighty Aussies speechless with their composed batting display. The right-hander smashed his eighth Test century to lead South Africa’s chase. Bavuma battled a hamstring injury but stayed at the crease, dispatching loose balls for boundaries.
Together with Markram, they completely took the game out of Australia’s hands. South Africa’s chase got off to a poor start as Starc dismissed Ryan Rickelton cheaply. However, Markram then steadied the innings alongside No. 3 batter Wiaan Mulder. Mulder fell for 29 to Starc, bringing Bavuma to join Markram in the middle. The duo then played out the rest of Day 3 together.
Entering Day 4 of the WTC final, South Africa’s task was straightforward. They needed 69 more runs with eight wickets in hand to win the Test championship. Captain Bavuma (66) and Tristan Stubbs (8) fell to Cummins and Starc, respectively. However, Markram (136) and David Bedingham, who scored 21 not out, guided the Proteas over the line. They created history in front of the packed Lord’s crowd, finally ending their trophy drought.
Famous Cricketers From Past and Present Reacted to South Africa’s Historic Win Against Australia
Former captain Graeme Smith, Proteas stars, and the cricketing fraternity congratulated the South African cricket team. They celebrated South Africa’s maiden ICC WTC title after defeating Australia by five wickets at Lord’s on Saturday. Smith posted a story on his official Instagram handle with Heart emojis.
AB de Villiers posted on his Instagram story, “Yes Proteas.” Mr. 360 also praised Markram’s century under pressure and Bavuma’s excellent captaincy. Irfan Pathan congratulated the SA team, saying Markram had etched his name in South African cricket history. Here are some top reactions from cricketers around the world:
Former Proteas seamer Dale Steyn was active on social media throughout the match. After South Africa won, he posted, “HOME!!!” Lasith Malinga said it was finally time for a South African celebration. He added that the win was thoroughly deserved by the team. Legendary Chris Gayle called it a victory for Test cricket. He praised both Markram and Bavuma for their outstanding performances.
