Australia v South Africa: Aiden Markram century powers Proteas towards victory

Daily Telegraph

16 hours ago

Australia is on the verge of experiencing what it's like to blow a World Cup final, as South Africa turned the tables of history when a sickening compound finger dislocation for Steve Smith proved decisive.
South Africa is on track to not only win, but trample Australia, anchored by one of the great centuries in a final by opener Aiden Markram. That is provided they aren't overwhelmed by nerves when they wake up needing 69 runs to finally shake the biggest gorilla in world cricket off their backs.
Markram (102 not out off 158 balls) raised his arms in triumph when he brought up triple figures with a boundary in the penultimate over of the day and embraced captain courageous Temba Bavuma (65 not out) with the pair demoralising Australia with a stunning unbeaten stand of 143.
Pat Cummins and Australia are on the verge of being trampled by South Africa. Picture: Getty Images
After being set an imposing 282 to reach the holy grail, South Africa is beautifully poised at 2-213, with eight wickets still in the shed with a battling Australia completely devoid of answers on day three.
'The hope for us is we need to get a wicket or two in the morning and see what that looks like,' Australian coach Daniel Vettori said as he praised the execution under pressure of Markram and Bavuma.
'But (needing) 8-69 is a real challenge for the group.
'There was some optimism (after Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood half century stand set up the 282 target) but it's obviously going to be a real challenge tomorrow.'
MORE: Steve Smith hospitalised after sickening finger injury
South Africa's Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma embrace. Picture: AP Photo
Smith's nasty finger injury has exacerbated the alarm bells ringing over the future of Australia's top order batting, and although conditions played into South Africa's hands on day three, Pat Cummins' team of career winners could blame no one but themselves for leaving the door ajar and then watching as the Proteas rode roughshod over them.
Over the past 10 years, Australia has won two ODI World Cups a T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Test Championship Final, but their WTC title defence at Lord's looks set to go down as the one that got away unless a minor miracle unfolds on day four.
Australia lost World Cup ODI Finals in 1975 and 1996, but the pain of failing to stand up on the biggest international stage – especially after leading healthily against a weaker opponent – is foreign territory for this team.
When Smith dropped a crucial slip's catch and bone went through skin in the process, it ultimately proved the turning point as South African captain Bavuma took the life handed to him on 2 and turned it into one of the great skipper's knocks as he battled through a torn hamstring.
For Australia the ramifications extend past it putting South Africa into prime position to break one of world sport's great hoodoos, with their No.1 batsman now in doubt for this month's three Test tour of the West Indies after being sent to hospital for x-rays although surgery was avoided.
Aiden Markram celebrates his century. Picture: Getty Images
Smith was standing in an advanced position just 14 metres behind the bat and under a helmet in an attempt to negate the lack of carry in the pitch, but when Mitchell Starc took a zinging edge from Bavuma it cannoned into Smith and popped out the little finger on his right hand before he could get in position.
It would have been a regulation catch had Smith been standing back in a conventional position and South Africa would have been 3-74 with captain courageous Bavuma back in the sheds and Markram having to do the rest alongside one of the greenest middle-orders in cricket.
Steve Smith reacts after being injured. Picture: AP Photo
Instead Bavuma dug in and soldiered through in a colossal partnership with opener Markram who was simply outstanding and set the tone from the get go even though South Africa lost an early wicket in pursuit of the target of 282 to win, which would have been much lower if not for the half century final wicket stand of Mitchell Starc (58 not out) and Josh Hazlewood.
Since 1999 when Steve Waugh's team clinched that extraordinary run-out to break South African hearts on the last ball of the World Cup semi-final, Australia has had a suffocating hold on the hapless Proteas in major international events.
But the tables of history turned spectacularly on day three of the WTC Final, and it was Australia staring down the barrel of squandering a match against a weaker opponent which at various stages looked in their keeping.
Without Starc and Josh Hazlewood (17) adding 59 off 135 balls – the highest 10th wicket partnership in ICC Finals' history – Australia would have been sliced and diced even sooner.
Rather than crush the South Africans, the ease in which Australia's tail went about their business seem to fill Markram with confidence that batting had suddenly become easy in a match where 28 wickets had fallen across the first two days.
The Australian target blowing out 63 runs on the morning of day three made little impact on the mindset of the superb Markram and the tenacious 162cm Bavuma, in fact it may have even emboldened them, as they shook off the stigma of choking they've carried for 35 years with a partnership of unwavering intent.
What they have done has been truly extraordinary given only once before at Lord's has a team had to chase the biggest score of the match in the final innings to win the game.
South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma celebrates his half-century. Picture: AP Photo
So damaging in the first innings, Australia's quicks didn't look like taking a wicket for large portions of day three and perhaps they tired from having no red ball cricket under their belts.
The post-mortem for Australia should be searing because this was quite simply a Final they should never have lost.
Questions will be asked about the non-selection of Sam Konstas at the top of the order, and serious decisions now must be made over the future of Marnus Labuschagne and possibly even Usman Khawaja, if Australia is looking ahead to the Ashes as it must do.
Mitchell Starc salutes the crowd after reaching his half century. Picture: Getty Images
Smith's injury complicates matters because if he can't play the first Test in Barbados there is another place to fill and perhaps Labuschagne earns a reprieve.
Australia is an ageing side and they were made to look old by South Africa who came to play with the kind of self-belief that's evaded them throughout its World Cup history.
Starc struck with an early wicket but South Africa were not perturbed from their mission, and even when the Australian left-armer returned to send Wiaan Mulder packing, the Proteas remained resolute.
The sight of Bavuma pinging his hamstring and yet hobbling on was an inspiring feat.
Relive the action from day three of the WTC final below
Originally published as Australia on verge of blowing World Test Championship final as Aiden Markram century powers South Africa