"Turn Hope Into History...": Sachin Tendulkar's Unmissable Reaction As South Africa Secure WTC Glory
Legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Ab de Villiers heaped high praises on Aiden Markram and South Africa captain Temba Bavuma for leading the side to their first-ever World Test Championship (WTC) title win at Lord's on Saturday. South Africa defeated reigning champions Australia by five wickets to end their 27-year ICC title drought. Proteas' last ICC title was the 1998 Champions Trophy (then Knockout Trophy) win.
Chasing a target of 282, Markram played a pivotal innings of 136, laced with 14 boundaries, to lead South Africa to victory in the title clash. His remarkable effort with the bat, especially after a first-innings duck, earned him the Player of the Match award.
Markram and Bavuma also stitched a 147-run stand during the second innings to keep Australia at bay in the championship battle. Bavuma contributed 66, battling with a hamstring injury, to become the first South African captain to win the ICC title in this century.
Taking to X, Tendulkar wrote, "Test cricket continues to weave its magic. In a final where every session had its own story, @ProteasMenCSA found calm in the storm. Markram's composure and Bavuma's grit under pressure stood tall in the fourth innings. A century that will be remembered, a partnership that turned hope into history. Congratulations to South Africa on becoming World Test Champions!"
Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter De Villiers lauded the courage and determination of his side to come out victorious in the WTC final.
"Congratulations @ProteasMenCSA. Fantastic win and so well played! Hats off to Markram for that match-winning century, and Temba for leading with such ice and fire all through," de Villiers wrote on X.
"What an incredible experience of watching this beautiful format of the game! The built-up drama, the slow anticipation, and the sweet victory to end it all were moments to savour... and to experience that with my two boys, thrilled and on their toes — couldn't have imagined it better than this. Go Proteas!"
South Africa resumed Day Four at 213/2, needing 69 more runs. They lost captain Bavuma early, as he edged Pat Cummins after adding just one run to his overnight score of 65. Tristan Stubbs followed soon after, bowled by a brilliant delivery from Mitchell Starc. Markram, who had anchored the chase, fell with just six runs needed, caught at mid-wicket off Josh Hazlewood.
Despite the late breakthroughs, David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne stayed composed under pressure. With Australia out of reviews, the final pair saw their team home. Verreynne sealed the win in the 84th over with a drive off Starc, igniting celebrations and securing a historic Test triumph for South Africa at Lord's.
--IANS
ab/bsk/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
37 minutes ago
- India.com
Australia gets whopping Rs 186300000 despite losing WTC Final, South Africa earns.....
Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets on Saturday to win the World Test Championship (WTC) title and win their first ICC trophy after 27 years. Chasing a target of 282 runs, Aiden Markram's century and captain Temba Bavuma's half-century laid the foundation for the victory. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) This victory was South Africa's first ICC title win after the ICC Knockout Trophy (now Champions Trophy) in 1998. This historic victory took place at Lord's ground. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) South Africa got the Test mess as well as a prize money of $3.6 million (about Rs 31.05 crore). Australia were given $2.16 million (about Rs 18.63 crore) as runners-up, while India got Rs 12.42 crore for the third place. When the game resumed on the fourth day, South Africa needed 69 runs to win. However, captain Temba Bavuma was dismissed early. He scored 55 runs in 134 balls. Nathan Lyon's bowling put South Africa under pressure. Markram reduced the pressure by hitting two consecutive fours to Pat Cummins, but Australia got another breakthrough when Mitchell Starc bowled Tristan Stubbs and blew away his off stump. When Australia also wasted their third review, it became clear that they were frustrated. Markram and David Bedingham patiently scored runs and brought them closer to the target. Proteas supporters were delighted by Bedingham's on drive. Markram was out after scoring 136 runs, but Kyle Verreynne gave victory by hitting a four over cover point to Mitchell Starc. With this historic moment, tremendous celebrations started in the dressing room, supporters, family and former players.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'Definitely Heard...': Bavuma Reveals Australia's 'Chokers' Sledge In WTC Final
Last Updated: Temba Bavuma has revealed that Australians tried sledging them with the 'chokers' tag during the WTC final. World Test Championship (WTC)-winning South African captain Temba Bavuma has revealed that the Australians tried sledging his team with the 'chokers' tag during the final at Lord's on Saturday (June 14). He said one player from the Pat Cummins-led team tried to get into their head about a batting collapse, but his batting partner, Aiden Markram, countered that by asking the skipper to 'lock in' after every over. South Africa needed 69 runs with eight wickets to spare on Day 4 to win the title, thanks to a brilliant 143-run partnership between Bavuma and Markram the previous night. Bavuma got out near the start of the day, but Markram stood steady and strung brief partnerships with Tristan Stubbs and David Bedingham. The latter and Kyle Verreynne finished the job in the extended first session. Markram, who won the Player of the Match award for his 136 (207) said it's 'quite a big thing' for his team to get rid of the tag once and for all. 'It would be great to not have to hear it again, that's for sure," he said. 'In terms of it motivating you, I mean, there's always going to be external things that can motivate you, but it's not your sole purpose for playing. To have got the job done and to literally have got the job done and to get rid of that is quite a big thing for this team." About the Author Cricketnext Staff First Published: June 15, 2025, 07:51 IST
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
South Africa win WTC, RCB win IPL, PSG get UCL: 2025's year of long-awaited firsts
For years, sport has thrived on dynasties, dominance, and familiar names lifting the same silverware. But every once in a while, the universe tilts in favour of the patient, the persistent, and the painfully unlucky. The year 2025 became one such anomaly - a rare, almost cinematic season where teams and individuals finally shrugged off the burden of their past and touched glory for the very first the cricketing cathedrals of Lord's and Ahmedabad to the footballing theaters of Paris, London and Munich - and even in Australia's Big Bash arenas - 2025 saw long-suffering fanbases erupt in joy. Droughts of decades were broken. Labels like "chokers" and "nearly men" were discarded. And what emerged was a year that rewarded those who had waited the longest—and endured the end 27-year ICC title droughtSouth Africa, the team most often synonymous with heartbreak on the world stage, finally tasted redemption. At Lord's on June 14, they pulled off a historic five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final, ending a 27-year-long wait for an ICC trophy. Chasing 282 - the second-highest fourth innings chase in WTC final history - the Proteas delivered a performance laced with grit, composure, and a long-overdue sense of SA vs AUS, WTC Final: HighlightsAiden Markram's match-winning century became an instant classic, but the backbone of the chase was formed by Temba Bavuma's stoic leadership and resilience. For a nation that has often watched its golden generations crumble under pressure, this was a moment of healing. Test cricket in South Africa has often battled neglect - but this win gave its loyalists a reason to believe finally win IPL after 18-year waitRoyal Challengers Bengaluru's long and often agonising wait finally ended in 2025. After 18 years of close calls, collapses, and curses, RCB lifted their maiden IPL title under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar. The final, played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, saw RCB overcome Rajasthan Royals - a fitting end for one of the league's most beloved yet unlucky who started his IPL career as an injury replacement, rose to become the leader RCB didn't know it needed. Captaining a team that included the likes of Virat Kohli, he steered them to glory in his very first season as skipper. For Kohli himself, the win was deeply emotional - 18 years of heartbreak gave way to tears of joy as he lifted the trophy that had eluded him his entire lift Champions League without MbappeadvertisementParis Saint-Germain had spent years assembling superstar squads, chasing European validation with their chequebook. But in 2025, in their first season after Kylian Mbappe's departure, they achieved the unthinkable - lifting the UEFA Champions League with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final. What made it special was not just the margin, but the Luis Enrique, PSG evolved from a collection of individuals into a cohesive, dynamic unit. Gone were the egos, the meltdowns, and the over-dependence on talismanic brilliance. In their place was a team that knew how to win together. The ghosts of Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona were exorcised in one glorious night in win first trophy since 2008After years of being the punchline, Tottenham Hotspur finally got their punch back. Their Europa League victory over Manchester United ended a 17-year drought for major silverware - the club's first since winning the League Cup in 2008. For Spurs supporters, long used to seeing hope fade in finals, this was a moment of overdue wasn't a fluke either. Tottenham played with steel and strategy, showing the world that they weren't just a team that "almost" did things anymore. The narrative around them changed overnight - from perennial underachievers to champions who earned it against one of England's biggest clubs on a European clinched his first league titleAs Tottenham celebrated, so did their former captain. Harry Kane, who made the painful decision to leave Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023, finally lifted his first-ever league title - the Bundesliga trophy - in 2025. For one of the modern greats of world football, it marked the end of a long and often frustrating personal a tough debut season in Germany and questions over his move, Kane's perseverance paid off. The boy who grew up dreaming of trophies finally got one that mattered. In a year of sporting redemption, his story sat perfectly among the season's most emotional stunned City to win FA CupCrystal Palace's FA Cup triumph will be remembered as one of the most astonishing achievements in recent English football history. They stunned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the final to lift their first-ever major trophy. For a side traditionally seen as mid-table stabilisers, it was a win that redefined their didn't just hang on - they played brave football, taking the game to City with courage and confidence. The result ignited wild celebrations in South London and gave Palace fans a dream they never truly expected to live. This wasn't just an upset - it was a rewrite of their club's ended 70-year trophy droughtThe wait at St. James' Park was even longer. Newcastle United ended a 70-year domestic title drought by defeating Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. Their last such triumph came in the 1955 FA Cup - and after decades of promise and frustration, 2025 finally delivered Howe's men showed tactical maturity and a refusal to be intimidated by the reigning English champions. It wasn't just a win - it was a throwback to the days when Newcastle were among English football's powerhouses. And now, they might just be returning for sealed historic first BBL titleIn the Big Bash League, 2025 finally delivered Hobart Hurricanes the title they had craved since the league's inception. After 12 seasons without success, they defeated the Sydney Thunder in a commanding final, thanks to Mitchell Owen's extraordinary 104 off 42 balls - one of the greatest individual performances in BBL years, the Hurricanes had been the bridesmaids of the competition. But this season, they combined fearless hitting, sharp bowling, and cool-headed leadership to dominate the playoffs. With only the Melbourne Stars now titleless, Hobart's triumph was not just deserved - it was Capitals break through in ILT20In franchise cricket, no team from the Capitals brand - which includes Delhi Capitals (IPL) and Pretoria Capitals (SA20) - had ever lifted a trophy. That changed in 2025 when Dubai Capitals clinched the ILT20 title, becoming the first of the trio to win a by a balanced squad and astute leadership, Dubai's campaign was built on momentum and collective effort. Their win was not only a breakthrough for the franchise but a message to the broader Capitals network - success is within reach, and sometimes, it starts where least expected.2025: A year that rewrote fateAcross sports, 2025 became a season that rewarded belief. The belief of players like Kane and Kohli, who waited years for validation. The belief of teams like RCB, Palace, and South Africa, who carried the scars of past failures but kept chasing the dream. The belief of fans who never gave than just a collection of finals and trophies, this year told stories - of struggle, of redemption, and of ultimate joyTrending Reel
