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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
WTC Champions: South Africa's road to glory under Temba Bavuma
South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma holds the winner's trophy and celebrates with teammates. (AP Photo) South Africa's triumph in the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) marks a historic high point in their cricketing journey. With a five-wicket win over Australia at Lord's, they not only clinched their maiden WTC title but also ended a 27-year drought for an ICC trophy, with their last being the KnockOut Trophy in 1998. Led by Temba Bavuma , who was appointed captain ahead of this WTC cycle, South Africa's campaign was built on resilience and momentum. They finished the cycle with the longest winning streak in WTC history - eight consecutive Tests, overtaking India (2019) and New Zealand (2021) who had seven each. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! South Africa's home form was formidable. Across six Tests at home, they won five, losing only to India in Cape Town in the shortest Test in history - a two-day match. Their win-loss ratio of 5.0 at home was unmatched, with only Australia (3.5) coming close. They completed home series whitewashes over both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Poll What do you think was the key factor in South Africa's success in the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship? Strong leadership from Temba Bavuma Exceptional pace attack Team depth and all-round performance Home advantage and winning streak Their away performance was nearly as impressive. South Africa secured a breakthrough series win in Bangladesh, their first in Asia in ten years. Despite a 2-0 loss to New Zealand with a depleted squad, they rebounded with a 1-0 win in the West Indies. They then won all six remaining Tests to qualify for the final, climbing from seventh to top in the table. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo 'The Sun is on us': Temba Bavuma soaks it in Bavuma's captaincy was pivotal. He now holds the record for joint-most wins (9) in the first 10 Tests as captain, matching England's Percy Chapman. As a batter, Bavuma scored 711 runs in 13 innings at an average of 59.30, second only among batters with five or more innings. His partnerships averaged 60.35 runs, the highest of any batter with 10+ stands. The pace attack, led by Kagiso Rabada (56 wickets at 18.73), was unmatched. South African pacers had the best average (23.75) and strike rate (41.9) of any team this cycle. Rabada's five four-wicket hauls topped their charts. South Africa also displayed exceptional squad depth - 15 players scored hundreds or took four-fors, and nine different Player-of-the-Match winners highlighted their all-round dominance. Wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne , who hit the winning runs in the final, contributed three centuries. Lobo Predicted It, Again: South Africa's Historic WTC Win vs Australia In every sense, this was a complete and collective conquest — one led from the front by Bavuma, but powered by a team that peaked at just the right time.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
WTC Final 2025: South Africa wins first ICC trophy in 27 years, ends title jinx
South Africa claimed its first International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy in 27 years after beating Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's on Saturday. The Proteas' last piece of ICC silverware was the 1998 KnockOut Trophy, later renamed as the ICC Champions Trophy. Since that title triumph, South Africa endured a heartbreaking run of close finishes in ICC tournaments, exiting in the semifinals on 11 occasions while losing one final—the T20 World Cup 2024 summit clash against India. The WTC final win comes as redeeming touch for a country where the oldest format of the game is struggling to survive. The Proteas were forced to send an understrength team to New Zealand for a two-match series in February last year as their frontline Test players had to fulfil their contractual obligations to SA20—the country's marquee T20 franchise league. South Africa bounced back from that setback by winning eight of the next nine Tests it played, with the unbeaten streak eventually culminating in an elusive ICC title win. At the helm of South Africa's turnaround is skipper Temba Bavuma, who is yet to lose a Test as captain after 10 matches.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
The wait ends: Social media reacts to South Africa winning WTC final
South Africa won the World Test Championship (WTC) on Saturday, completing a remarkable turnaround to beat Australia by five wickets as it successfully chased down an imposing 282-run target. This was South Africa's first ICC title in 27 years, after its KnockOut Trophy win in 1998. Proteas' win prompted reactions from across the world, including from several legends, such as AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Sachin Tendulkar and Chris Gayle. Here are some of them. AB de Villiers '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 posted on X. 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👏🏻🏆 What an incredible experience of watching this beautiful format of the game! The built up drama,… — AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 14, 2025 '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!' he added. Sachin Tendulkar Tendulkar praised the calm and composure in the final innings, calling the Markram-Bavuma partnership one that turned 'hope into history': '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,' Tendulkar wrote on 'X'. 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… — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 14, 2025 Dale Steyn HOME!!!!! 🏆 — Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) June 14, 2025 Former South African pacer Dale Steyn captured the mood in a single word: 'HOME!!!!!' Herschelle Gibbs Herschelle Gibbs acknowledged the flawless execution from the toss itself: 'Well done @ProteasMenCSA ..everything went right from the toss already .. enjoy the celebrations'. Well done @ProteasMenCSA .. everything went right from the toss already .. enjoy the celebrations 🥂🥂🥂 👏 — Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) June 14, 2025 Chris Gayle 'This is a career-defining century for him, and he would be really pleased with it since he helped South Africa win their first world trophy.' Chris Gayle celebrated the display of grit and class in South Africa's famous triumph. Masterful Markram! Great win by South Africa led by Temba Bavuma. This was a great ad for test cricket. Congratulations to ICC World Test Champions South Africa!@Dafabet — Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) June 14, 2025 Kumar Sangakkara 'Masterful Markram! Great win by South Africa led by Temba Bavuma. This was a great ad for test cricket. Congratulations to ICC World Test Champions South Africa!' Kumar Sangakkara hailed the team's belief: 'Bosh and Boom. What a win for @ProteasMenCSAthey have out skilled and out wanted the Australians. tremendously led by Temba Bavuma. Bosh and Boom 💥 What a win for @ProteasMenCSA they have out skilled and out wanted the Australians. tremendously led by Temba Bavuma. They're a team that shows how powerful purpose, passion and belief are in shaping the path to a trophy. A glorious day for South Africa — Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) June 14, 2025 Ian Bishop 'They're a team that shows how powerful purpose, passion and belief are in shaping the path to a trophy. A glorious day for South Africa.' Ian Bishop underlined Markram's nerveless century and the team's historic achievement. One of the most phenomenally responsible, nerveless 4th innings centuries in the game from Aiden Markram. Fitting that the former ICCU19World Cup winning captain & (K G Rabada) helps guide Temba Bavuma's team to the 🌈 Nation's greatest cricketing moment. ICC WTC Champs 2025. — Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) June 14, 2025 'One of the most phenomenally responsible, nerveless 4th innings centuries in the game from Aiden Markram. Fitting that the former ICCU19World Cup winning captain (K G Rabada) helps guide Temba Bavuma's team to the Nation's greatest cricketing moment. ICC WTC Champs 2025,' said Bishop.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
The South African liberation moment at Lord's: When Bavuma's understated players ‘rubbished' the perceptions about them and stitched a dream
Fourth ball of the 84th over, under sparking blue skies at Lord's, Kyle Verreynne drove Mitchell Starc between point and covers and ran the run that crowned South Africa as world Test champions, hauling the target of 282 to upend defending champions Australia by five wickets. Emotions outpoured. On the balcony, Temba Bavuma sunk his face on his palms, hiding the tears. His teammates roared and high-fived. Keshav Maharaj's words quivered during the pitchside interview. 'It's what the country's about, the unity among everyone in the last five days,' he somehow managed some words. 'Stuff of dreams,' Marco Jansen gathered his emotions and said. Kagiso Rabada rubbished aspersions that they haven't faced strong oppositions to the final. Aiden Markram, whose splendid 136 orchestrated the chase, stated the obvious: I haven't scored more important runs.' Former captain Graeme Smith, among the commentary crew, roared in delight beside the boundary ropes. AB de Villiers, with his son, swiped the air in euphoria. They've done it! South Africa are WTC Champions! 🏆🇿🇦 27 years of waiting ends in glory 🥺❤ A moment for the ages and for every fan who never stopped believing#SouthAfrica #WTCFinal — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 14, 2025 It's the most famous and symbolic run in the history of South African cricket. South Africa have claimed the Champions Trophy once, in 1998 when it was known as KnockOut Trophy, and were twice crowned the number one ranked team in Tests. But none matched the magnitude of this feat. It ends years of hurt and heartbreaks, brain-fades and miscalculations, fallibility and freeze, tears in the rain and aches under sun, that had the cricketing public both empathise and ridicule them. In this match-winning run, the nation found catharsis. A historic stroke that wipes their painful shivers of history. A shot of liberation. A moment as momentous as Francois Pienaar raising the rugby World Cup in 1995, watched on by Nelson Mandela, both wearing a No 6 jersey. It is a triumph of inclusivity. Holding the mace aloft was South Africa's first black captain, Bavuma, a figure that had polarised opinions. He was a metaphor of change in the country that once reeled in the most inhuman practice that was the apartheid. He was also projected as an epiphany of everything negative about the quota system, a reason several talented cricketers seek refuge in county cricket and Tasman shores. The moment of glory would potentially shake perceptions. The colour lines are fading. Two other black cricketers, Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, produced star acts in the final as well as the journey to the final. Rabada, a generational fast bowler, a fusion of grace and athleticism, grabbed 56 scalps at 18.53. Ngidi's evening burst on day two triggered the collapse that forced South Africa back into the game. Left-arm spinner Maharaj, of Indian descent, with roots in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur, nabbed 41 wickets at 20.95. The white cricketers too put in stellar shifts, like Markram in the final, seam-bowling all-rounder Jansen, David Bedingham and Verreynne. The Rainbow was complete. It was an antithesis to their squad for the World T20 Cup last year, which featured only one black cricketer and was promptly blasted as a backward step. Former CSA and ICC president Ray Mali termed it a betrayal. 'We have betrayed the people who asked us to negotiate unity for this country. Players are mentored or monitored right from their early days up to the top, so you know which players will represent South Africa,' he told SABC Sport. A post shared by ICC (@icc) It's a song of personal redemption for a bunch of cricketers considered as emblems of talent-dearth and drain. Bavuma was perpetually criticised for his inconsistency and 'passive captaincy', one who captains the side because of the colour of skin. Rabada was returning from a three-month ban for alleged cocaine use. The shadow of underperformance had tailed Markram, preordained to scale batting peaks, throughout his career. All of them wore match-defining roles. It's a victory of understated cricketers, an ensemble cast of domestic workhorses and fledgling talents. Rabada is the lone superstar in the group. Bedingham made his Test debut after a decade in domestic and county cricket, after featuring in more than 100 first-class games. Bowlers will not lose sleep over Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder or Ryan Rickleton. The batting line-up was supposedly the weakest they had fielded in recent history. The difference was stark when compared to Australia's. Before the game, Steve Smith had 116 Tests on his ledger. South Africa's top seven combined, excluding Bavuma, has collected only two more Tests. Smith has cracked 36 hundreds; the top seven of South Africa combined 21. There is a delicious paradox here, a quirk of destiny, that the undecorated bunch mustered what more gilded batting firms and dynastic teams could not. Markram has achieved what Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers could not in their celebrated careers. A World Championship title, founded on belief and bouncebackability rather than pure talent. The victory has powers to resurrect the game in the country. The last few years have been tumultuous, what with administrative instability, premature retirements, migration to Australia and Europe, wage and contract disputes, fixation on T20 franchise circuit, besides a cloud of pessimism that the game is treading a slippery slope. June 14 in Lord's could inspire a generation. World cricket too has emerged richer from this victory at a time when the longest format is losing their old bases. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have tethered to irrelevance. West Indies are in shambles, the growth of Bangladesh shunted like a bonsai tree; Zimbabwe retracting its steps back into the Test fold. Afghanistan and Ireland are showing little signs of upward mobility. It's sweeter, and poetic justice, that they defeated Australia in the final. Australia is all things South Africa aspires to be, a serial winner, a sporting super dynasty, and mentality monsters. Australia consigned South Africa to the most heartbreaking moment in their cricket history, the 1999 World Cup semifinal. It's on Australian soil that they experienced the pangs of an asinine rain rule to deny a win that could have changed the psychological disposition of the Proteas . So even if they have won more games and series in Australia than any other side since the 1990s, beating them in a knockout game lifted their heaviest burden. Thus, South Africa laid a fleet of ghosts to rest on the balmy Saturday evening at Lord's.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
List of ICC World Test Championship winners: South Africa beats Australia to win to first major trophy in 27 years
South Africa claimed its first International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy in 27 years after beating Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's on Saturday. The Proteas' last piece of ICC silverware was the 1998 KnockOut Trophy, later renamed as the ICC Champions Trophy. Since that title triumph, South Africa endured a heartbreaking run of close finishes in ICC tournaments, exiting in the semifinals on 11 occasions while losing one final—the T20 World Cup 2024 summit clash against India. Here's the complete list of ICC World Test Championship winners: Year Winner Runner-up Result 2021 New Zealand India NZ won by 8 wickets 2023 Australia India AUS won by 209 runs 2025 South Africa Australia SA won by 5 wickets
