Magnificent Markram shines as Proteas clinch the World Test Championship title

South Africa are world champions.

A five-wicket victory sealed by a nervous drive through extra cover by Kyle Verreynne at 12.46pm local time has elevated their status and put this group of players, so magnificently led by Temba Bavuma, among the legendary sports teams to come out of South Africa. 

The chase of 282, was led by what is the best Test innings by a South African player — ever — from Aiden Markram. 

He scored 136, a performance of clinical precision, but more than that sublime elegance. There were 14 fours, a perfect blend of aggression and resolute defence, that surpasses anything any of the great players from South Africa produced.

They won’t mind.     

The only mistake was that he wasn’t there at the end flicking a delivery off his toes that was well caught at square leg by Travis Head. 

Markram was crestfallen, but he should not have been. The Australians sportingly all came to shake his hand. They, like everyone else at this ground, recognised the magnificence of his efforts.

His partnership with Bavuma, was worth 147 runs, and turned this match decisively in South Africa’s favour. 

Bavuma was dismissed off the 18th ball of the morning, yet another beauty from his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, that left the right-hand batter off the surface, with extra bounce catching the edge of Bavuma’s bat. 

He’d batted for exactly 200 minutes — most of that time spent hobbling singles, twos and on Saturday morning a very long three. Bavuma, so often the butt of jokes, made a serious statement here. It wasn’t just the 66 runs in the second innings, but his shift in tempo on the second morning, after the Australian bowlers had dominated on Wednesday, sent a message to the opposition, but mainly his teammates.

The Proteas did not need take a backward step. From that moment, even though they conceded a first innings deficit of 74 runs, South Africa were back in this game. 

Tristan Stubbs did not look himself on Saturday, playing like a batter more determined not to get out than to score. Mitchell Starc bowled him for 8 — which came off 43 balls — with South Africa still needing 41 to get. 

But the magnificent Markram was still there. Nevermind cricket — this is an innings that should enter South African sporting folklore. Mark Williams’ goals in 1996, Joel Stransky’s drop goal in 1995 and Aiden Markram’s 136 at Lord’s in 2025. 

This was a truly heroic effort from a team, written off by outsiders — many in South Africa, who wore the replica shirts. Well there they stood, on the hallowed turf of this sport’s most famous theatre, the captain holding the golden prize.