In a stunning turn of events at Lord’s, South Africa won their first ICC World Test Championship (WTC) by beating Australia by five wickets in the 2025 final. This triumph ended a 27-year drought for an ICC trophy and was a key milestone in South African cricket history.
Australia won the toss and chose to bat first, but was restricted to an insufficient 212. The defending champion’s top order struggled to convert starts, with Marnus Labuschagne failing in his new position. Steve Smith (66) did well as he always do, but received less to none support from the other end. Apart from him, Beau Webster (72) was the top scorer for the side. South Africa’s pace battery, headed by Kagiso Rabada, exerted sustained pressure, with Rabada ending with five wickets. Marco Jansen also scalped three wickets in 14 overs.
South Africa’s response with the bat was not great either. The Proteas were bowled out for 138, giving Australia a crucial 74-run advantage. David Bedingham (45) led the batting attack, with skipper Temba Bavuma (36) following. Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins spearheaded the bowling attack, capitalising on the overcast circumstances. At this point, Australia seemed to be in command, with South Africa once again raising concerns about their temperament in finals.
Australia’s second innings was just as fragmented and uninspiring as the first. They managed just 207, with Rabada once again wreaking havoc. While it appeared like the Australian batting might crumble even worse, Mitchell Starc (58) maintained the jitters from one end. The SA bowlers kept to their game plan, dismantling Australia’s middle order with bounce and movement. Rabada’s match record of nine wickets helped kept the target in reach. Moreover, Lungi Ngidi made the game-changing move of dismissing Smith, restoring South Africa’s faith. He expressed his pride in that, which fuelled the rest of his performance.
South Africa required grit and calm while chasing 282, and Aiden Markram provided both. His magnificent 136 off 207 balls anchored the innings. Markram believed that luck had a factor. Regarding his knock, he absorbed the pressure at the start against the new ball and played out the session in some classy fashion. In the end, Kyle Verreynne smacked it to the point region, and the crowd lighted up as SA made history by defeating Australia and becoming the new WTC winners. The Proteas carried out their chase with five wickets in hand, courtesy to the efforts of captain Temba Bavuma and the middle order. Markram’s innings was acclaimed as one of South African cricket’s finest ever.
Scorecard:
Australia: 212/10, Overs 56.4, Beau Webster 72, Kagiso Rabada 5/51
South Africa: 138/10, Overs 57.1, David Bedingham 45, Pat Cummins 6/28
Australia: 207/10, Overs 60, Mitchell Starc 58*, Kagiso Rabada 4/59
South Africa: 282/5, Overs 83.4, Aiden Markram 136, Mitchell Starc 3/66
