Un-freaking-believable: Jansen, Rabada sum up South Africa's historic WTC win
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada were nearly lost for words as South Africa ended a 27-year wait for an ICC title, beating Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's on Saturday morning.Until now, the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy had remained South Africa's only major global success—often remembered with caveats and overshadowed by years of heartbreak. That long, frustrating wait is now over. After so many near misses, this was a defining moment—one that will resonate far beyond the boundary ropes. It is a result that will be widely celebrated, not only as a triumph for South Africa, but as a significant boost for Test cricket outside the traditional powerhouses of India, England, and Australia.advertisementAiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada starred with bat and ball respectively, while Temba Bavuma extended his unbeaten run as Test captain, as the Proteas emerged triumphant in the final of a global event - their first since readmission in 1991—after enduring decades of disappointment.
Jansen and Rabada, both part of the South African side that fell short in the 2023 ICC World Cup semi-final against Australia and again in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India, admitted that nerves were running high in the dressing room before the long-awaited dream of winning the World Test Championship was finally realised.SA vs AUS, WTC Final: HighlightsJansen hailed Markram and Bavuma for their "un-freaking-believable" performances in the WTC Final."In the change room, there were a lot of nerves. A lot of guys quiet, myself included, but to have the fans here, to hear them cheer us on, every single ball, every single run, you can't ask for anything more. Families are here as well, we're just so happy we could do it. (Markram was) un-freaking-believable. What a player, what a guy to have on your team. He's a fighter. Temba, both of them, fighted tooth and nail. I think that's what dreams are made of. Dreams are meant to be achieved," Jansen said.advertisementIn the final itself, Rabada was the driving force, taking five wickets in the first innings and adding four more in the second. Rabada recognised the magnitude of the win for the South African team, while also taking aim at critics who had questioned South Africa's pedigree to defeat a side of Australia's calibre at Lord's."I can't describe into words how I feel at the moment, just extremely happy. Throughout that entire season, I think, we planned really well, we worked really hard, and I think we deserved to get into this position. There were people saying that we weren't good enough opposition, but I think that's rubbish. We came here, we played the best team and I think Australia have been magnificent all season and we had to be on our A-game to beat them. Thank you for your support these last four days felt like a home game, so thank you, guys, for turning out," Rabada said.
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