South Africa finally laid their ICC ghosts to rest as Aiden Markram produced a majestic 136 to script a five-wicket win over Australia in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's on Saturday, sealing the Proteas' first major global title in 27 years.
Set 282 for victory, South Africa resumed Day 4 on 213/2 and calmly completed the chase at 282/5, with Markram falling just six runs short of hitting the winning runs. His knock, resilient and stylish, anchored the innings and symbolised South Africa's long-awaited moment of redemption.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Markram reflects on poetic redemption after the earlier duck: "Weird how things work out… you get a duck and then this. Lord's is where every Test cricketer wants to play. It was about absorbing pressure and maximising scoring options. It's one of those special days. Temba's knock was phenomenal — he's one of the best, always leads from the front. These are the kind of knocks people remember you for."
Kagiso Rabada fires back at critics, praises fan support: "Some people said we didn't play tough teams — that's rubbish. Australia are one of the best. We had to be at our best to beat them. The last four days felt like a home game — thank you for turning up and keep turning up."
Coach Shukri Conrad praises senior pros and puts South Africa first: "This one is for South Africa. That partnership between our senior pros — that's where the game was won. Coaches sometimes need to trust players; they knew better today."
Lungi Ngidi celebrates a game-changing spell, calls win emotional: "I'm speechless. That spell broke the game open. My blood pressure is high, but I'm proud of the boys — a lot of hard work went into this."
Marco Jansen calls the win a dream come true: “I was just sitting and praying. A lot of nerves in the change room. To see the crowd, the support — it was unbelievable. Markram and Temba were brilliant. Dreams are meant to be achieved, and we're going to celebrate."
From the scars of Barbados to the glory of Lord's, South Africa have finally arrived on the biggest stage.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less