Markram , Bavuma step up as South Africa close in on Historic WTC Victory at Lord’s

 

Just 69 runs needed. Eight wickets in hand. Two full days left. Unless a major twist unfolds, South Africa is all set to win their first-ever ICC World Test Championship. On Day 3 at Lord’s, it was Temba Bavuma’s team that completely dominated proceedings. The pitch, which was treacherous over the first two days, had suddenly eased up—providing the perfect platform for Aiden Markram and Bavuma to shine. Markram reached a superb century just before stumps, while Bavuma remained unbeaten with a gritty fifty. South Africa closed the day at 213/2, chasing a target of 282. Last time, Australia took home the WTC trophy. This time, South Africa seems poised to be crowned champions.

The same Lord’s surface that saw 28 wickets fall over the first two days produced only four dismissals on Day 3. The difference in conditions was evident when Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood mounted a stubborn rearguard resistance in the morning session. It was clear then that the pitch had flattened out, now offering more support to batters. Markram and Bavuma capitalized on the easier conditions across two sessions, and the Australian bowlers found no answers. So much so that part-time spinner Travis Head had to be brought into the attack, but to no avail.

Markram, who has a history of scoring well against Australia, delivered once again—this time when it mattered most. He seemed stuck in the 90s for a while, and had the day’s play not been extended, he might have missed the landmark. But in the 55th over, he glided Hazlewood through fine leg for four to bring up his century. The entire stadium stood in applause, with even AB de Villiers capturing the moment on camera. Chants of “Markram, Markram” echoed through the stands.

Bavuma deserves special praise as well. He sustained a hamstring injury mid-innings while running between the wickets but battled on bravely. He was visibly limping but refused to leave the field. Medical staff treated him for an extended period, but he continued to fight, finishing the day unbeaten on 62.

The day didn’t start ideally for South Africa. With Australia resuming on 144/8, it was expected that the innings would wrap up quickly. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Nathan Lyon (2) in the third over of the day. However, what followed was unexpected. Starc and Hazlewood put up a stubborn 59-run partnership, resisting everything the South African bowlers threw at them. Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj all tried, but couldn’t break the stand.

Starc and Hazlewood were smart and cautious. Starc did the scoring while Hazlewood held one end. They avoided risky shots and slowly built the highest 10th wicket stand in any ICC final—breaking the 41-run record set by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson in the 1975 World Cup final. Ironically, it was part-time bowler Markram who finally ended the stand.

Chasing 282 seemed a tall order for a team that was bowled out for 138 in the first innings. Starc provided a breakthrough early, dismissing Ryan Rickelton for 6. Although Wiaan Mulder and Markram steadied the ship briefly, their stand ended at 61. At that point, Australia still had a grip on the match. But the tide turned once the Markram-Bavuma partnership began to flourish.

The pitch kept easing up, and the sun came out in the second and third sessions, baking the surface further and making it ideal for batting. Australia’s bowlers struggled. Even Starc, who was fiery in the first innings, went for nearly six an over and was not bowled beyond nine overs despite picking up two wickets.

Given the current scenario, South Africa should easily chase down the remaining 69 runs in Saturday’s first session. Despite having two ODI trophies, the Proteas have never won a major ICC title in Tests or T20s. Their repeated failures in key matches earned them the “chokers” tag. But on Saturday, they have the chance to finally shed that label—possibly forever.