Photo Credit: The Hindu
Cricketing history was made at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground as South Africa ended their 27-year ICC trophy drought with a remarkable victory over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. Chasing a tricky target of 282, the Proteas displayed steely nerves and outstanding discipline to script a five-wicket win – their first major ICC title since the 1998 Champions Trophy.
This historic chase vs Australia at Lord’s will be remembered not just for the silverware it delivered, but for the redemption story it completed for a team long burdened by the “chokers” tag in international tournaments.
Markram’s Magic Turns the Tide
Aiden Markram’s resilient century was the defining moment of the WTC final. Walking in after a golden duck in the first innings, Markram was a man on a mission. He constructed a sublime 136-run innings, anchoring the South African chase with elegance and grit. His emotional reaction – tears flowing freely as he walked off with just six runs left for victory – summed up the gravity of the moment.
With this innings, Markram not only guided his side to victory but also exorcised many ghosts of South Africa’s past ICC heartbreaks. His knock will now be mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest Test innings played under pressure.
Bavuma’s Bravery and Strategic Captaincy
Captain Temba Bavuma, playing with a hamstring injury, made a vital contribution with a gritty 66 that steadied the middle order. His leadership was as instrumental off the field as it was on it. Despite being visibly in discomfort, Bavuma stood firm, guiding his team through tense passages of play and making crucial field placements earlier in the game to contain the Australian batting line-up.
This final will also be remembered as a landmark moment in Bavuma’s career – the man who led South Africa to its first ICC championship in nearly three decades.
Historic Chase vs Australia at Lord’s
The setting couldn’t have been more poetic. Lord’s – the spiritual home of cricket -became the stage where South Africa completed a historic chase against Australia. After finishing Day 3 at 213 for 2, the Proteas needed just 69 more runs to win. Australia’s pace attack, including Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, tried to mount pressure early on Day 4, but the calmness of Markram and later Kyle Verreynne helped South Africa cross the finish line with 27.4 overs to spare.
The clinical manner in which the target was chased down reaffirmed South Africa’s tactical discipline and mental strength.
South Africa End 27-Year ICC Trophy Drought
The significance of the win cannot be overstated. For 27 years, South African cricket had endured heartbreak after heartbreak — from the rain-ruled 2003 World Cup exit to the semi-final stumbles of 2015 and 2019. The WTC final victory at Lord’s is a symbolic breaking of those chains. It’s not just a win; it’s a cultural reset.
South Africa’s win was met with an outpouring of emotion across the cricketing world. Former legends like AB de Villiers and Shaun Pollock hailed the team’s grit, while social media exploded with hashtags like #SAWTCChampions and #DroughtBroken.
Financial Windfall and What’s Next
Along with the coveted ICC mace, South Africa received a prize purse of $3.6 million — their largest ever payday in Test cricket. The result also reignites public interest in red-ball cricket in South Africa, a format that had suffered from poor crowd engagement in recent years.
Looking ahead, coach Shukri Conrad emphasized the need to build on this momentum. “This is just the beginning. We’ve proved we can win; now we need to be consistent,” he said post-match.
