South Africa clinched the World Test Championship (WTC) title on Saturday in dramatic fashion, chasing down a daunting 282-run target to defeat Australia by five wickets at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The victory marks their first ICC trophy in 27 years, ending a long chapter of near-misses and heartbreaks.
Aiden Markram was the architect of the chase, anchoring the innings with a sublime 124 on Day 3. Skipper Temba Bavuma, battling a hamstring injury, contributed a gritty 66 to keep the Proteas firmly in the hunt. Resuming on 213-2 on Day 4, South Africa needed 69 more runs to seal the win. It was a tense and cautious passage of play, taking 27.4 overs to complete the chase, but the Proteas held their nerve to script a historic win. The successful pursuit was the joint second-highest fourth-innings chase at Lord’s.
The 1999 World Cup was considered South Africa’s most dramatic defeat in the semi-final against Australia, with only nine runs needed in the final over and one wicket remaining. Similarly 2003 World Cup gave another exit for South Africa on their home ground, which was against Srlianka and was affected by rain.
Keshav Maharaj, “It’s special, it’s an honour to lift the cup for everyone out here and back home. It’s what the country’s about, the unity among everyone in the last five days. We’re very grateful, as a team as a nation, as a proud country. I think the emotions would’ve spurred me into the right direction had I got into bat.
He further expressed his gratitude for fans at home and said, “ Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting us, through adversity we’ve stood strong. We honour those who’ve come before us, may this be a stepping stone for greater things to come.”
What did Temba Bavuma say?
Temba Bavuma, after winning the match, addressed the crowd at Lords: “It’s been a special couple of days. Felt like we were back in South Africa with all the support. We’ve worked hard for this. Came here with a lot of belief and a lot of doubters, and happy we played well to get this result. Special moment for us, for those back home, will take a couple of days to sink in.