South Africa stunned the cricket world with a five-wicket victory over Australia at Lord’s to claim their second ICC Men’s title and become the third winners of the World Test Championship. Chasing 282 in the fourth innings, the Proteas rode on a brilliant 136 from Aiden Markram and a gutsy 66 from captain Temba Bavuma, overcoming a 74-run first-innings deficit to script one of the most memorable Test wins in recent history.
The victory came despite significant criticism of South Africa’s path to the final, with some pundits questioning the strength of their opponents and the shorter length of their Test series compared to other top nations like Australia, England, and India.
Cummins: ‘They made it fair and square’
In the aftermath of the loss, Australian captain Pat Cummins was quick to dismiss doubts about South Africa’s legitimacy as WTC finalists and champions.
“In terms of, you know, the way they made it, they made it fair and square – everyone has a slightly different, you know, route to make the final, but they absolutely deserve to make the final and showed why, you know, I think they’re very deserving champions,” Cummins told reporters.
His comments were a clear rebuke to those who suggested that South Africa’s journey to Lord’s was less challenging due to the absence of series against traditional heavyweights like England and Australia.
Praise for Bavuma’s grit and Markram’s brilliance
Despite the disappointment of defeat, Cummins offered high praise for South Africa’s top performers. Bavuma, who battled a hamstring injury in the second innings but chose to stay on and fight, earned Cummins’ admiration.
“I thought the way he (Bavuma) played was fantastic. He gave us that half chance early on (dropped at slip by Steve Smith on two) but then didn’t give us another look until he got out. He had a big partnership with Aiden, so I thought he played really well,” said Cummins.
He also offered his thoughts on Bavuma’s captaincy, noting, “In terms of leading, it’s always pretty hard unless you’re playing underneath someone to judge them so I don’t know about his captaincy but, from the outside, he looked good.”
Markram’s Player-of-the-Match performance was instrumental in South Africa’s win, with his commanding 136 anchoring the chase. Cummins was full of respect for the opener:
“He was pretty hard to dislodge. He batted really well and kept the scoreboard ticking over as well, which can be frustrating. A few of us have played alongside him in IPL and he’s very well respected, he’s a good man, Aiden. So yeah, unfortunately for us, he kind of made it look pretty easy out there and just built a big innings. We threw a fair bit at him but he had an answer for everything.”
Looking ahead for Australia
With the WTC 2023-25 cycle now underway, Australia will quickly turn their focus to a three-match Test series in the Caribbean starting June 25. Later in the year, they are set to host a full Ashes series at home.
While Australia regroups, South Africa will savor a long-awaited global title—their first major ICC men’s trophy in 27 years—and the validation that comes with it. For Pat Cummins and the Australian team, there is nothing but respect for the side that bested them.
