LONDON, June 15, 2025 – In a nail-biting finale at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, South Africa dethroned defending champions Australia to claim the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 title by five wickets on Saturday. This watershed moment ends a 27-year ICC trophy drought for the Proteas.
The Decisive Chase
Resuming Day 4 at 213/2 needing 69 runs, South Africa leaned on centurion Aiden Markram (136 off 207 balls). The early loss of Temba Bavuma (66) to Pat Cummins briefly ignited Australian hopes. Markram then anchored critical partnerships before falling with 6 runs needed. David Bedingham (28*) and Kyle Verreynne (5*) sealed the historic win.
Australia’s Gritty Resistance
Australia posted 212 in their first innings (Webster 72, Smith 62) and 207 in their second (Starc 58*). Kagiso Rabada’s 5/38 decimated the top order, while Pat Cummins’ devastating 6/40 initially gave Australia a 74-run lead.
Why This Win Resonates
- End of an Era: First ICC trophy since 1998
- Markram’s Redemption: Career-defining century under pressure
- Rabada’s Supremacy: 8-wicket match haul outshone Cummins
Post-Match Reactions
Captain Temba Bavuma: “This is for every South African who kept believing. Aiden played the innings of his life.”
Pat Cummins: “Heartbreaking, but credit to SA. We left runs out there.”
Author Profile
- Khalid Javed is known as Khalid Minhas is editor of Daily Olympic.He is a seasoned journalist and worked with different national and international media outlets.
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