South Africa’s match-winner, Aiden Markram, looked back on his sensational innings that guided the Proteas to a five-wicket win over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s, ending the nation’s long wait for a major ICC trophy.
After being dismissed for a duck in the first innings, Markram bounced back in remarkable fashion, producing a masterclass in the fourth innings. Chasing a challenging target of 282, the opener struck a brilliant 136 off 207 deliveries, including 14 boundaries. Although he missed out on hitting the winning runs by just six runs, his innings was the backbone of South Africa’s memorable chase. He also contributed with the ball, claiming the prized wicket of Steve Smith during Australia’s first innings with his part-time off-spin.
“Lord’s is a place where every Test cricketer wants to play,” Markram said in the post-match presentation. “Plenty of South African fans were there and it was one of those special days. It’s not always one-sided, you absorb the pressure and it was about maximising the scoring options. He (Nathan Lyon) is one of the best in the world, we had plenty of banter with him, said to him he is one of the best. Tough to have got over the line.”
A crucial part of the win was his partnership with captain Temba Bavuma. The duo stitched together 147 runs for the third wicket—now the third-highest fourth-innings stand at Lord’s by a visiting pair.
“Lot of it came from him (Bavuma), he has always led from the front, found way a to score runs and those sort of knocks are something people will remember you for,” added Markram.
Back in 2014, Markram captained South Africa to victory in the ICC U19 World Cup. Now, as one of the senior figures in the side, he once again delivered on the big stage, this time with the bat, helping secure a monumental win for his country.