Keshav Maharaj sobs uncontrollably; Temba Bavuma covers his face to hide tears after South Africa win WTC, make history
It had to be this moment. Shaun Pollock was in the commentary box, Graeme Smith waited near the boundary, and AB de Villiers sat in the stands with his son. Three names that have defined South African cricket for years, for decades, were present at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. The three of them, together and individually, had suffered a plethora of heartbreaks; defeats that have been etched in the annals of South African cricket. But today, on this day, none of that mattered. What mattered was watching their beloved South African team script history, when they defeated Australia by five wickets to win their maiden ICC Test Championship – the first ICC title in 27 years.
However, perhaps the most emotional individual was Keshav Maharaj. The spinner, who, during the 2022 T20 World Cup, tried to avoid a defeat to the Netherlands but was unable to do so, stood on the Lord's balcony to see South African cricket achieve its greatest moment of all time. Maharaj picked himself up to have a word with Graeme Smith. Overcome with emotions, Maharaj sobbed uncontrollably, aptly summing up the magnitude of this victory.
"It's special, it's an honour to lift the cup for everyone out here and back home. It's what the country's about, the unity among everyone in the last five days. We're very grateful, as a team as a nation, as a proud country. I think the emotions would've spurred me into the right direction had I got into bat. (Message to fans back home) Thanks to everyone who's been supporting us, through adversity we've stood strong. We honour those who've come before us, may this be a stepping stone for greater things to come," he said.
Another sight that captivated the audience was that of South Africa captain Temba Bavuma. The warrior, who batted with an injured hamstring to score arguably the greatest and most important 66 runs of his life and added 147 runs with centurion Aiden Makram – the one that turned the match on its head, covered his face. As the rest of his team and teammates erupted in celebration, Bavuma sat there, burying his tear-laden face. He did eventually get up and joined his teammates, but that frame of Bavuma covering his face spoke at least 1000 stories if not more.
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