Aiden Markram was named Player of the Match for his 136 in SA' s chase of 282 runs.
South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets at Lord's to win the World Test Championship (WTC), and Aiden Markram was a key player in that victory. One of the most significant knocks in South African cricket history will be Markram's incredible 136.
As his team won their first major ICC title since 1998, the 30-year-old opener led them to the verge of victory and fell six runs short of finishing the job. Prior to this game, Markram was the only captain of South Africa to win a World Cup, which he did in 2014 with the Under-19 team.
The 30-year-old was spotted enjoying a drink with a supporter following the historic victory.
"That was one of my mates from school. He wanted me to come over and I said, ‘Flip man, I can’t, it’s too busy, it’s chaos.’ And then he was like, ‘Well, here’s a beer.’ And I was like, ‘OK, I’m in.’ So, I’ve had my first one for today and I’m pretty sure there’ll be a few more,” Markram told SuperSport via ICC.
Scarred by loss when triumph was imminent, Markram had guided the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup final, and this victory was yet another testament to his tenacity.
“I thought a lot about the T20 World Cup last night and how helpless I felt after getting out. That gave me motivation to make sure I stayed at the crease. It was all about getting the job done.
This is as big and tough as it gets. All the questions that have been asked in the past have fortunately now been answered. It would be great to not hear it (‘chokers’) again, that’s for sure. To get rid of that tag is a big thing for this team,” Markram said.
Markram acknowledged that his sleep was "horrible," but he persevered until six runs were required. He spent six hours and twenty-three minutes at the crease.
“It will rank up there as number one. My Test career has been hard going, very stop-start. Weird how things worked out after a duck in the first innings. Need a bit of luck. It’s one of the most special days,” he signed off.