South Africa won the ICC World Test Championship 2025 title with a 5-wicket win over Australia in the final match at Lord's on June 14. And, it was Aiden Markram's innings of life --136 runs, earning him the Player Of tHe match honour that was not just a match-winner but also it was a legacy-sealer for the Proteas.
After 27 years of wait, when South Africa finally lifted their ICC trophy, Markram couldn’t hide the emotion of the moment. “Not at all,” he said, when asked if he had ever scored more important runs in his career.
“Weird how things work out if you see the first innings. Ultimately you get luck and it worked out.”
Markram had been dismissed for a duck in the first innings, but bounced back with an unforgettable performance when it mattered most in the 2nd innings. Chasing 282 to win, South Africa leaned on his ton - the only century scored in the WTC 2025 final match and the only century scored by any South African cricketer in an ICC tournament's final.
The atmosphere at the Home of Cricket was unforgettable. With South African fans filling the stands, it felt like a home away from home. For Aiden Markram, it was one of those rare, truly special days every cricketer dreams of. “Lord's is a place where every Test cricketer wants to play. Plenty of South African fans were there and it was one of those special days.”
Markram, known for his cool temperament, handled Nathan Lyon--the most threatening Australian spinner on the day--with maturity and respect. “He is one of the best in the world,” Markram said. “We had plenty of banter with him, said to him he is one of the best.”
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Markram admitted that the chase was tough. “Tough to have got over the line,” he said. But he credited much of the belief to captain Temba Bavuma. “Lot of it came from him, he has always led from the front, found a way to score runs and those sort of knocks are something people will remember you for.”
From captaining South Africa to their U19 World Cup title in 2014 to taking them to the T20 World Cup final in 2024, and now delivering in a Test final, Markram’s international journey has come full circle.
His 136 runs now sits among the highest fourth-innings scores in South Africa’s Test history and will be remembered as one of the great match-winning knocks in WTC finals.
