Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 14: Jubilation swept through the cricketing world as South Africa broke a 27-year ICC title drought by defeating Australia by five wickets in a thrilling World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. The victory marked the Proteas’ first major ICC trophy since the 1998 Champions Trophy — and their first-ever Test championship win.

Former South African pace icon Dale Steyn captured the sentiment of an entire nation in a single word — “HOME” — accompanied by a trophy emoji on X (formerly Twitter), a tribute to South Africa’s long-awaited return to cricketing supremacy on the global stage.

Former India women’s team captain Anjum Chopra echoed the emotion:

“34 years! The wait has finally ended. South Africa are fittingly CHAMPIONS in an ICC event.”

South Africa’s chase of 282 was anchored by a magnificent knock from Aiden Markram, who rose from a first-innings duck to hammer 136 runs — a gritty, elegant innings that earned him the Player of the Match award and a permanent spot on the Lord’s Honours Board.

Cricketing veteran Irfan Pathan praised both bat and ball:

“Temba Bavuma-led South Africa has created history. Rabada was brilliant. Aiden Markram has not only engraved his name on the Lord’s Honours Board but also in the history of South African cricket.”

South Africa resumed day four on 213/2, needing 69 runs to seal victory. The morning brought tense moments: skipper Temba Bavuma added just one run before edging Pat Cummins for 66, and Tristan Stubbs fell to a lethal in-swinger from Mitchell Starc. Markram’s dismissal with just six runs remaining ratcheted up the pressure.

But the calm and composed pair of David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne steadied the ship, fending off Australian pressure as Cummins’ side ran out of reviews. In the 84th over, Verreynne carved Starc through cover-point for the winning runs, sending the South African players and travelling fans into raptures.

The match saw key performances from Kagiso Rabada, whose nine wickets across both innings were instrumental in dismantling Australia, and Markram’s second-innings century that will be remembered as one of South Africa’s finest in red-ball history.

This iconic win at the Home of Cricket not only marks South Africa’s eighth straight Test win but also redefines their legacy — exorcising the ghosts of past heartbreaks and firmly placing them among the modern titans of the game.