Redemption at Lord’s: Temba Bavuma Leads South Africa to Historic WTC Triumph, Proves Doubters Wrong

A New Dawn in South African Cricket

South Africa's long, painful wait for a major ICC trophy finally ended at the hallowed turf of Lord’s, as they clinched the World Test Championship title with a five-wicket victory over Australia. Chasing 282, the Proteas resumed the final day at 213 for 2, needing just 69 runs with eight wickets in hand. Yet, despite their commanding position, tension crackled in the air — this was no ordinary chase.

Temba Bavuma, the resilient South African captain, began the day with a single to the covers, met with thunderous cheers from a pro-South African crowd. He had battled a hamstring injury throughout his innings, nearly being retired hurt the previous evening. Instead, he soldiered on, forming a match-defining 147-run stand with Aiden Markram, the innings' anchor.

While Bavuma fell short of seeing his team over the line, edging a lifting delivery from Pat Cummins, his contribution had already shaped history.

Markram, Bavuma, and the Banishment of the “Chokers” Tag

Markram scored a crucial 136 and held the chase together even as nerves surfaced. When Bavuma fell, the ghosts of past failures loomed. Australia tried to exploit that history — “We could hear them saying ‘choke’,” Bavuma later revealed. But this time, South Africa did not falter.

Markram eventually fell just six runs short of the target, but the Proteas completed the chase and lifted their first ICC Trophy in 27 years — a moment of catharsis for a team historically dogged by near-misses and collapses on the big stage.

“This win squashes that,” Bavuma said at the presentation. “There were doubters — about our route to the final, about our ability to win. We proved them wrong.”

Bavuma: From Langa to Lord’s

Temba Bavuma's journey from the streets of Langa township outside Cape Town to holding the WTC mace at Lord’s is nothing short of poetic.

“In Langa we had a four-way street,” he reminisced. “One side we called Karachi, another the MCG, but the clean, tarred section we called Lord’s — that’s where I always dreamed of playing.”

Growing up amid poverty and violence, Bavuma’s early experiences built his mental fortitude. At age 10, he earned a scholarship to the elite SACS (South African College Schools), where cultural assimilation posed new challenges. From dishing modest portions at lunch to coping with questions about belonging, Bavuma learned discipline and resilience.

His eventual move to St David’s in Johannesburg, where he fully embraced the dominant white school culture, marked another turning point. “By then, I was fluent in English and confident. But it took time.”

Breaking Barriers, Bearing Burdens

Bavuma has long been a pioneer. In 2016, he became the first Black South African to score a Test century, and in 2023, the nation’s first Black Test captain. Under his leadership, South Africa has won eight Tests and drawn one, including a record-breaking seven-match winning streak en route to the WTC final.

Yet, his rise hasn’t been without doubt. Critics, including former England captain Michael Vaughan, questioned whether South Africa deserved their spot in the final, citing a perceived weaker schedule.

But Bavuma’s side had no choice — they were often forced to field under-strength squads due to financial constraints. Players missed tours like New Zealand in favour of domestic T20 tournaments, needed to fund the system. Their path to the final included series victories over West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan — all won with conviction.

Leadership, Sacrifice, and Redemption

The defeat to Australia in 2022-23 was, in Bavuma’s words, “a turning point.” Despite personal form, the team struggled. That adversity cemented his leadership style: **calm under pressure, yet proactive in attack.

In January 2023, Bavuma was appointed Test captain. His form surged — averaging 57.78 as captain compared to 34.53 before. His ability to absorb and exert pressure matured. “You grow in confidence. You understand your game better. And most importantly, you stop trying to play like someone else.”

The defining moment came against Pakistan in the home summer: South Africa faltered chasing 148 at Centurion. Bavuma walked, wrongly thinking he was caught, and the Proteas collapsed. “I was sulking in the bathroom,” he said. But the team scraped through, and went on to dominate the rest of the cycle — culminating in that fateful day at Lord’s.

More Than Just a Cricketer

Bavuma understands the broader significance of his role. “It’s not easy being captain of South Africa,” he admits. “But it feels worth it. To be recognised not just as a Black cricketer, but as someone who achieved something our country has longed for.”

Markram’s words echoed that sentiment. “It’ll be great to not have to hear that word — ‘choke’ — again. This is a big statement.”

The victory also united a nation. “This is a chance for us to forget our issues and really come together,” Bavuma said. “I hope it continues to inspire.”

A Changing of the Guard?

While South Africa celebrated, Pat Cummins reflected on Australia’s future. “This feels like a good time for a fresh start,” he said. “Like with white-ball formats, we may build in cycles now in Tests too.”

Australia, ever-competitive, will regroup. But this was South Africa’s moment — one built not just on runs and wickets, but on legacy, struggle, belief, and unity.

A Legacy Secured

From a dusty street in Langa named Lord’s to the real thing, Bavuma’s journey now symbolizes far more than a sporting triumph. It is a story of representation, resilience, and redemption. South Africa are no longer bridesmaids — they are champions of the world, and Bavuma, their unassuming 5ft 3in leader, has rewritten the narrative.

“We’re going to keep knocking on the door,” Bavuma said. “And at some point, it has to open.”

On June 14, 2025, at Lord’s, it finally did.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

The Long Chase: Legacy, Pressure, and Markram’s Century at Lord’s

When I first fell in love with cricket, the global pantheon was dominated by three giants: the West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia. The player who captured my imagination was none other than Sir Vivian Richards—a cricketer who batted as if he owned time. My father, a purist of the game, reminded me that I was watching an ageing Viv, a version no longer lightning-quick, his reflexes dulled slightly by the passage of time. Yet, even at 35 or 36, what Viv could do with the bat remained beyond the reach of most. His swagger, his brutality, his intent—few could rival it. Gordon Greenidge perhaps came closest, but even these titans had their off days.

And when they did, it fell upon the stabilizers—the unsung heroes. Larry Gomes, Richie Richardson, Gus Logie, and Desmond Haynes: the builders, the fortifiers. They held the innings when flair failed, rotating strike, absorbing pressure, and forging resilience one run at a time.

In another cricketing colossus, Pakistan, stood a man named Javed Miandad. Unlike Viv, he wasn't a picture of elegance. His technique didn’t draw awe. But what he did possess was steel. Miandad was the heartbeat of the Imran Khan-led side—a gritty lifeline who dragged Pakistan out of ditches time and again. He wasn’t flashy, but his mastery of placement, strike rotation, and innings construction made him indispensable. With little consistent support outside Imran himself, Miandad bore the burden of an entire batting lineup, match after match, innings after innings.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Allan Border was the left-handed version of Miandad. 

Such batsmen are craftsmen. They understand that batting—particularly in Tests and high-stakes ODIs—is about endurance, patience, and adaptability. And in today's cricketing world, where the blitzkrieg of T20 often overshadows such nuance, it’s easy to forget that old art.

In the post-Miandad era, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Michael Atherton, and co stuck to the mantra of Miandad. 

At Lord's Markram decided to follow the mantra of the gritty legends of yesteryear. 

The Markram Moment: A Modern Masterpiece at Lord's

On a luminous day at Lord’s—the cathedral of cricket—Aiden Markram resurrected the age-old virtues of Test match batting. It wasn’t just an innings; it was an act of defiance, of history rewritten in whites. In the World Test Championship final against defending champions Australia, Markram didn’t just chase runs. He chased ghosts—those of past South African heartbreaks on the grandest stage.

He began with a flick—a gentle stroke off Hazlewood’s pads through midwicket. But that simple shot set the tone: composed, purposeful, grounded. Then, raising his bat and eyes to the skies, Markram let emotion stream down his face. A century—yes. But also, redemption.

At the other end, Temba Bavuma—South Africa’s stoic captain—watched on with quiet pride. His hamstring failing but his resolve firm, he mirrored the innings' heart: grit amid fragility. Their partnership wasn’t just tactical—it was spiritual.

Markram’s unbeaten 102 at stumps on day four was already being spoken of in reverent tones. But he wasn’t done. “It’s not over yet,” his eyes seemed to say, even in the fleeting joy of reaching three figures. Sixty-nine more runs stood between South Africa and immortality.

The Craft Behind the Glory

Let’s not romanticize this into myth without acknowledging the method. Markram came into the final under pressure. A duck in the first innings. Inconsistent recent form. The burden of expectation. But from his first ball—a soft push to get off strike—he signaled a shift in mindset. No more passivity. No more retreat. South Africa would chase with intent.

He pounced on width, punished over-pitched deliveries, and bided time when bowlers tested his patience. His offside play—long considered his strength—was vintage: cuts, drives, and late dabs all flowed. Yet, what stood out was how he adapted. Against Lyon’s turn, against Cummins’ precision, and in the face of Bavuma’s injury, he recalibrated his game. His focus narrowed. He played closer to the body, resisted the temptation of expansive strokes, and anchored the innings like a veteran.

Markram didn’t just survive—he orchestrated. He was a composer and conductor, setting the tempo of South Africa’s most significant chase in memory.

Deliverance

The final morning at Lord’s dawned with nerves in the air. 213 for 2. Sixty-nine runs to glory. Still, doubt lingered.

Markram answered it with authority: drives through the covers, pulls off short-pitched bowling, and the maturity to absorb spells from Australia’s finest. When the second new ball arrived, Hazlewood bent his back—but Markram bent the moment to his will. One flick off the pads, then another. And then it was nine to win.

Eventually, it was Kyle Verreynne who struck the winning runs, but it was Markram’s 136 that had already carved itself into the marble of South African cricket history. A victory was finally sealed. A final was finally conquered.

Beyond the Numbers

This wasn’t just a century. It was the silencing of decades of near-misses, collapses, and chokes. It was the moment when the weight of being "the golden boy" finally became wings instead of chains for Aiden Markram.

In the shadow of past legends, he created light of his own.

Final Thought

In a sport increasingly obsessed with the rapid, Markram reminded us that endurance, intent, and elegance still matter. His innings, much like Miandad’s grittiness or Richards’ dominance, will be remembered not just for the score, but for what it stood for—a resurrection of belief.

On that Saturday at Lord’s, South Africa didn’t just win a Test. They won history.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

WTC Final 2025: South Africa’s Long-Awaited Coronation at Lord’s

The Theatre of Anticipation: Where Clouds and History Converge

The Lord’s Test opened like a Shakespearean tragedy—clouds loomed, the air was thick, and destiny was ambiguous. This wasn’t just another final; it was a reckoning. On one side stood Australia, serial winners in whites, self-assured and steeped in success. On the other hand, South Africa—cricket’s eternal bridesmaids—haunted by a gallery of near-misses, run-outs, and collapses.

The contest had been framed as a battle between two pace attacks, and Day 1 confirmed the script was sound. Fourteen wickets fell, but the final act was still uncertain. A mace was at stake. For Australia, a legacy to affirm; for South Africa, a curse to crush.

Rabada’s Soliloquy: A Five-Act Tragedy for the Australians

Kagiso Rabada didn’t just bowl on Day 1—he performed.

From the very first ball that beat Khawaja’s outside edge, his rhythm foreshadowed something special. A symphony of hostility followed—each delivery a note in a requiem for Australia’s top order. Khawaja edged one to slip. Green followed, nicked off before anyone finished his name.

Yet Rabada’s genius lay between the wickets—the balls that kissed the seam, spat past the edge, bisected bat and pad, or simply held their line when the batter expected drift. The five wickets earned him a second honours board entry at Lord’s, but it was the psychological dissection of Australia's line-up that defined the day.

A bowler, once suspended, now stood as the most elevated artist on cricket’s most hallowed stage.

Of Silk and Splinters: Australia’s Incomplete Inning

Even in disarray, Australia found fragments of resistance.

Steven Smith, even flu-ridden, produced a knock of classical defiance. His 66 wasn’t ornate but foundational—compact footwork, selective strokeplay, and unwavering resolve. Then came Beau Webster—lucky early, jittery always—who survived Rabada's snorting seamers and non-reviews to stumble his way to 72.

Their stand, however, was a sandcastle before the tide. Once Carey reverse-swept unwisely and fell to Maharaj, the tail followed like dominoes. From 192 for 5 to 212 all out, it was an implosion born not just of skill, but of soft moments: missed reviews, poor shots, and lapses in judgment. A gift-wrapped collapse, eagerly unwrapped by South Africa’s bowlers.

Paralysis and Pressure: South Africa’s Tense Rebuttal

If Rabada roared, South Africa’s top order whispered.

The second innings began in suffocation. Australia's quicks, honed by 950+ wickets between them, attacked with metronomic discipline. Mulder and Bavuma scored 6 runs in 40 balls—not a counterpunch but a crawl. One by one, the wickets came: nicks to slip, stumps pegged back, heads bowed.

In hindsight, it wasn’t just the scoreboard pressure that defined South Africa’s innings; it was a mindset forged in years of high-stakes heartbreak. They weren’t playing for a lead—they were playing not to collapse. As the cordon grew louder, South Africa receded further. A 74-run deficit felt like a mountain.

The Keeper’s Burden: Carey at the Crossroads

Alex Carey embodies modern contradiction.

Capable of audacious strokeplay, intelligent glovework, and leadership under pressure—yet prone to moments that shadow his promise. A reverse-sweep into oblivion and a dropped catch off Mulder brought back echoes of Lord’s 2023, where controversy followed him like a ghost.

Yet he rebounded in the second innings with a crucial partnership alongside Starc that gave Australia breathing space. If cricket mirrors character, Carey’s match was a mirror cracked—flashes of brilliance amidst frustrating flaws.

Cummins the Conqueror: Six Wickets, 300 Memories

Captain. Warrior. Craftsman.

Pat Cummins’ second-day spell was less a bowling effort and more an assertion of command. His 6 for 28, including his 300th Test wicket, came not through unplayable spells alone but through relentless attacking plans. The fuller ball to Bedingham. The straightening seed to Rabada. The pressure never relented.

This was Cummins at his peak: not simply a fast bowler, but the captain orchestrating collapse. He left South Africa 74 behind and Australia—despite frailties—on top of the world. Or so it seemed.

The Phoenix Rises: Markram and Bavuma Redefine Resilience

Day 3 was South Africa’s renaissance—both spiritual and statistical.

Aiden Markram, once dropped, now reborn, led with a century of staggering poise and tactical maturity. Every cover drive was a statement, every back-foot punch a declaration. His 136 was a masterclass in pressure absorption and intelligent pacing.

But if Markram was elegance, Bavuma was endurance. Limping from a hamstring strain, he batted on one leg, refusing a runner, redefining bravery. Their 143-run partnership was South Africa’s finest stand under pressure since readmission. Not a rescue, but a revelation.

The Final Ordeal: Nervous Hands on the Mace

The morning of Day 4 broke with sunshine and suspense.

Needing 69 more, with eight wickets in hand, South Africa had never been closer to global redemption. But when Bavuma fell early and Stubbs followed, old scars reopened. Australia clawed, appealed, burned reviews, and prayed.

The tension was cinematic. Then Verreynne drove through the covers. The ball kissed the outfield and kissed history with it. South Africa, at 12:45pm London time, won the World Test Championship. This time, there was no fumble at the line. No choke. Only catharsis.

The Ghosts Banished: Legacy Beyond the Trophy

For South Africa, this was more than silverware. It was an exorcism.

Gone are the whispers of 1999’s run-out, 2015’s rain rules, or the 2023 T20 heartbreak. This win was clean, earned, and immortal. No asterisks. No caveats.

The legacy now reads: WTC Champions, 2025. With Rabada’s fire, Markram’s grace, and Bavuma’s grit, South Africa finally had a chapter that ends with victory, not vindication alone.

Epilogue: Cricket’s Poetic Justice

Lord’s has long been a cathedral of cricket, but rarely has it felt so hymnal for a non-Big Three nation. This wasn't just South Africa's story—it was a reminder that Test cricket still breathes outside its traditional powers.

The world saw a team unshackled from narrative, playing for meaning, for history, for themselves.

And in Markram’s tears, Bavuma’s limp, and Rabada’s smile, Test cricket found its finest hour again.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar