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South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada acknowledged that his team hasn't got off to the best of starts with the bat on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025. Rabada helped South Africa dismiss Australia for 212, and they later finished the day on 43/4.
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Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
'It was pretty benign wicket, going to be a real challenge': AUS assistant coach on sides WTC win chances after Markram-Bavuma stand
London [UK], June 14 (ANI): Following a tough day three at field during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori hailed Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram for their partnership and acknowledged that getting rest of the wickets for 69 remaining runs would be a "real challenge". Markram's historic Lord's ton, first-ever by a Proteas player in an ICC tournament final, and his 143-run unbeaten stand with skipper Temba Bavuma have left SA just 69 runs short with eight wickets to go in pursuit of their first-ever world title in the sport. During the presser, Vettori acknowledged it was a tough day for the team and under the sunshine, bowling became difficult. "I think there was optimism in the way we started with Starc and Hazlewood (while batting, a 59-run stand). There was a really good partnership to put together a total that obviously, considering the rest of the how the match had played out, was a challenging one. But under those conditions, Markram and Bavuma were exceptional and were able just to, I suppose, navigate their way through any tricky situations and then be able to put pressure back on us when it was opportune time. So it was a pretty benign wicket and obviously conditions were not assisting the ball, but that partnership was exceptional." Vettori said that the team is aware of the magnitude of their task and the situation remains tricky for them. He expressed hope that conditions go in their favour. "But I think with the nature of where the ball is at and the surface, it is a difficult task, but it is a task that the group has probably done at times throughout the last three, four, some of them five, six, even longer years. But I think there is an appreciation of how well Bavuma and Markram batted to put all that pressure back on us. So, to get one of them tonight may have given that optimism. So it is going to be a real challenge tomorrow," he added. On Steve Smith's finger injury after dropping Temba's catch at slips, Vettori said that the team will "just wait and see what comes back after he gets back from hospital. And then everyone will be able to update from there." Speaking on his bowlers and if they could have used more variations, Vettori said that someone like Mitchell Starc does it naturally. "He does that naturally and his ability to change his length and potentially swing the ball both ways. I think the success that has come from the surface has been that six to eight meter length. That is what South Africa did so well. That is what we did in the first innings. So there is sometimes an appetite for that, but there is also a concern around the score running away from us," he said. "And sometimes when you go to that short ball stuff, it is hard to control the scoreboard. And that was probably our fear today, that if we could hang in those areas long enough, something would happen, like it has in the rest of the test match, but it was not to be," he added. South Africa has reached 213 runs in 56 overs, led by a century-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma. Despite a hamstring injury, SA captain Bavuma has fought through to register a half-century. Earlier in the day, A fine half-century partnership between Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder put South Africa in a solid spot at the end of the second session during day three of the WTC final at Lord's on Friday. At the end of the session, SA was 94/2, with skipper Temba Bavuma (11*) and Markram (49*) unbeaten. Starc played one of the finest innings of his life, which powered Australia to 207/10 from a poor position of 152/9, leading by 281 at lunch. Starc remained not out on 58, leaving Proteas to chase 282 to end their ICC title drought. Brief Scores: Australia: 212 and 207 (Mitchell Starc 58*, Alex Carey 43, Kagiso Rabada 4/59) against SA: 138 and 213/2 (Aiden Markram 102*, Temba Bavuma 65*, Mitchell Starc 2/37). (ANI)
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
World Test Championship final: Markram's century, Bavuma's grit put South Africa on brink of historic win over Australia
Hobbling captain Temba Bavuma and hundred-hitter Aiden Markram pushed South Africa to the brink of a sensational victory over Australia in a gripping World Test Championship final at Lord's on Friday. Bavuma, elevating the drama with a strained left hamstring, and opener Markram capitalized on ideal batting conditions. They partnered for an unbroken 143 runs against one of Australia's greatest bowling attacks to have South Africa 69 runs from an historic triumph. Chasing 282 to win, the Proteas were 213-2 at stumps on day three in a stirring bid to win a first ICC trophy in 27 years. Bavuma was 65 not out from 121 balls, his running restricted but not his batting technique, and Markram was 102 not out from 159, easily the highest individual score of the final. Defending champion Australia bombarded them with four of its top-10 all-time test wicket-takers — more than 1,500 wickets in total — but they couldn't part the Proteas pair, and hardly troubled them. In South Africa's huge favour, the day three pitch flattened, offered the bowlers little and was far easier paced than the first two chaotic days, when 14 wickets fell on each. Only four wickets were taken on Friday, and none after tea. South Africa won't go to bed entirely comfortably, though. The men's team has a heartbreaking history in ICC tournaments of blowing winning positions. It is the reason its only ICC trophy is the ICC Knock Out in 1998. 'This would be massive for our country,' Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince said. "Both in terms of what we want to do in test match cricket and what we want to achieve going forward. We've fallen short in some white-ball competitions with teams that have been favorites at times. History says we haven't done it yet, so we have to knuckle down. 'Not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight. Whether I can fall into a deep sleep, I'm not sure!' It's certain serial champion Australia still believes, too. 'In the morning we've got to come back and try and form a plan,' Beau Webster said. 'The boys will be looking at any advantage we can get. Strange things happen in this game. 'We tried some new things with the bowling attack but they were just too good in the end ... and both of them were chanceless so complete credit to them." The odds were in Australia's favour when South Africa's chase began straight after lunch. To win, a work-in-progress batting lineup needed to equal England's most successful ever run chase at Lord's from 2004. By the time pacer Mitchell Starc removed Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, South Africa was 70-2 but flying. There was positive intent missing from the first innings, and the strike was rotated constantly. Australia managed only three maidens in 56 overs, all by spinner Nathan Lyon. Starc could have reduced South Africa to 76-3 when Bavuma, on 2, thick-edged to first slip. But a helmeted Steve Smith, standing closer than usual to the wickets because the ball hasn't been carrying to the cordon all game, couldn't hold Starc's 138 kph delivery and broke his right pinkie finger. He immediately left for a hospital, was out of the final and probably the following three-test tour of the West Indies. Given life, Bavuma was on 9 when he hurt his hamstring 10 minutes before tea. Prince said he was adamant about continuing but noticeably limping. The captain soothed his dressing room with pulls and sweeps and hobbled runs, each one rousing the South Africa fans. Bavuma reached his 50 off 83 balls. Meanwhile, Markram was cutting and driving to 50 off 69 balls. The best of his 11 boundaries was a late cut off Starc expertly sliced between two fielders. His reaction to his eighth test century five minutes from stumps was muted. He had enough strength to raise his bat to all sides and receive applause and a hug from his captain. South Africa's celebratory end to Friday the 13th contrasted starkly to the deflating start to the day. The Proteas would have expected to begin the chase by bowling out Australia, resuming on 144-8, half an hour after the start of play. Lyon was dismissed early and gave Kagiso Rabada his ninth wicket of the match but tailenders Starc and Josh Hazlewood resisted for almost two hours. Starc achieved his 11th test fifty, and first in six years. He and Hazlewood's third 50-plus partnership for the 10th wicket tied the all-time test record. The stand ended on 59, Hazlewood out for 17 to part-timer Markram. Starc was not out on 58 from 136 balls. He'd entered at 73-7, when Australia led by 147, and combined mainly with Alex Carey and Hazlewood to conjure 134 more runs. Those runs and South Africa's 20 no balls appeared to put Australia beyond reach. But Bavuma and Markram had the confidence and the pitch to defy nearly all expectations.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
WTC Final: Markram's unbeaten 102, Bavuma's half-century put South Africa on cusp of championship glory
Aiden Markram's brilliant century and Temba Bavuma's resilient half-century have propelled South Africa to a commanding position in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's. Chasing 282, the Proteas recovered from early setbacks, courtesy of an unbroken 143-run partnership between Markram and Bavuma, leaving them just 69 runs away from a historic victory against Australia. South Africa's Aiden Markram, right, celebrates with batting partner Temba Bavuma after scoring a century on day three of the World Test Championship final (Image via AP /Kirsty Wigglesworth) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Brief scores: A magnificent hundred by Aiden Markram and a patient half-century by the South African skipper Temba Bavuma have put the Proteas in the driving seat in the ICC World Test Championship Final being played at Lord's in England's capital city, London, on rose to the occasion and scored 102 not out, taking South Africa within 69 runs of a historic triumph in the ICC World Test Championship. South Africa ended the third day's play at 213/2 in 56 overs in the finalAfter Australia's second innings ended at 207, posting a target of 282 for Temba Bavuma's side to chase, Mitchell Starc made early inroads in the South African batting lineup, picking up two early hiccups in the second innings, the Proteas fought back with Markram and Bavuma showing poise and stitching an unbroken 143-run stand for the third conditions being the best for batting, right-handed batter Markram looked rock solid throughout the innings, slamming his eighth Test century off 156 deliveries in the fag end of the the other hand, skipper Temba Bavuma scored 65 not out off 121 balls, despite tweaking his left hamstring and hobbling to complete his runs before the tea Markram and Bavuma showing poise, precision, and authority in amassing runs while complementing each other, the duo have ensured that South Africa are on the cusp of glory on day in the day, as the play resumed on Day 3, Starc, who was dropped on 14 in the final over of day two's play, was at his resolute best to take the lead past 280 while sharing a 59-run last-wicket partnership with an equally solid Josh South Africa, who bowled 22 extras, including 10 no-balls, Kagiso Rabada picked 4-59, while Lungi Ngidi returned with figures of 3-38. Resuming day three from 144/8, Rabada struck by trapping Nathan Lyon lbw, with the ball tracking showing the ball would hit the top of the leg and Hazlewood were largely untroubled by pacers. The duo getting four quick boundaries meant Australia's lead went past 250. The Starc-Hazlewood duo managed to put on the highest tenth-wicket partnership for any team in a men's ICC championship then got his 11th Test fifty in the 64th over by flashing at one outside off-stump from Marco Jansen and got a streaky boundary, which also brought up Australia's 200 as well. SouthStarc struck early by swinging one away from Ryan Rickelton, who tried to drive through cover, but he could only nick behind to Alex left-arm pacer delivered another breakthrough for Australia by coming from around the wicket and forcing Mulder to hit straight to Marnus Labuschagne at cover, who grabbed a good, low catch. The pacer could have gotten Bavuma in the 20th over when the South African skipper was squared up and the ball flew to Steve Smith at wide first slip. But Smith couldn't grab the catch and was left in pain. After the drop there was no looking back for Markram and Bavuma, as the duo managed to build a partnership for the third boundaries flowing off Markram's bat and Bavuma also chipping in with some drives, it meant there was no stopping South Africa, as the South African skipper brought up his 29th Test fifty in 83 balls. Markram continued to be pristine by punching Nathan Lyon, dabbing late off Beau Webster, and unfurling a beautiful straight drive off Hazlewood. Markram reached a century by flicking Hazlewood through mid-wicket, and the crowd cheered for 212 and 207 in 65 overs (Mitchell Starc 58, Alex Carey 43; Kagiso Rabada 4-59, Lungi Ngidi 3-38) lead South Africa 138 and 213/2 in 56 overs (Aiden Markram 102 not out, Temba Bavuma 65 not out; Mitchell Starc 2-53) by 69 runs.
