South Africa’s long 27-year wait for an ICC trophy has finally come to an end. After winning the Champions Trophy in 1998, the Proteas faced repeated heartbreaks in ICC tournaments. Despite playing explosive cricket in many events, they often stumbled at the knockout stage, earning the unwanted tag of “chokers.” But now, in the final of the World Test Championship 2023–25, South Africa has defeated Australia and lifted the trophy.
Thanks to a gritty century by Aiden Markram and a captain’s knock by Temba Bavuma, South Africa pulled off a historic win. Chasing a target of 282 runs at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, South Africa reached the target in the first session of Day 4, finishing at 285/5 and winning the match by 5 wickets.
Markram, the Hero of the Final
Aiden Markram was the star of the match, scoring a brilliant 136 runs off 207 balls. Interestingly, he was out for a duck in the first innings. When he was dismissed in the second innings, South Africa needed just 6 more runs to win. Captain Temba Bavuma, who provided great support, scored 66 runs before getting out earlier in the day. Though the Australian bowlers bowled tightly, the Proteas held their nerves and eventually crossed the line. David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne stayed till the end to seal the victory.
Second Highest Successful Run Chase at Lord’s
This successful run chase is now the second-highest in the history of Test cricket at Lord’s. Before this, scores of 200+ in the fourth innings were chased down only four times at this venue. The record for the highest successful chase at Lord’s still belongs to the West Indies, who chased down 342 runs against England in 1984. England had also chased 282 against New Zealand in 2004.
Highest Successful Run Chases at Lord’s (Test Cricket)
| Target | Team (Score) | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 342 | West Indies (344/1) | vs England | 1984 |
| 282 | South Africa (285/5) | vs Australia | 2025 |
| 282 | England (282/3) | vs New Zealand | 2004 |
| 277 | England (279/5) | vs New Zealand | 2022 |
| 216 | England (218/3) | vs New Zealand | 1965 |
A Tough Start, But a Strong Finish
South Africa’s fourth innings didn’t begin smoothly. They lost their first wicket at just 9 runs, with Ryan Rickelton dismissed for only 6. However, Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder stitched a vital 61-run partnership to stabilize the innings. After Mulder’s dismissal, Markram and Bavuma built a match-turning 166-run stand that laid the foundation for victory.
Poor First Innings Performance
South Africa had opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The decision paid off as the Proteas bowled out Australia for just 212 in their first innings. Kagiso Rabada led the bowling effort with a five-wicket haul, while Marco Jansen took three wickets, and Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram chipped in with one each.
However, South Africa’s batting in their first innings was disappointing. They were bowled out for just 138, giving Australia a 74-run first-innings lead. Australian skipper Pat Cummins was devastating with the ball, taking 6 wickets, while Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood picked up 2 and 1 wickets respectively.
In the end, it was a remarkable comeback by South Africa — overcoming a first-innings deficit, battling tight bowling, and shedding the “chokers” tag with a hard-fought and memorable WTC final win.