Markram didn’t score in the first innings and got out for a duck, but he made a strong comeback in the second.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was full of praise for Aiden Markram after his brilliant 136 helped South Africa win the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. He said Markram’s innings was one of the best match-winning knocks seen in an ICC final. This win was especially important for South Africa, as they had faced 27 years of heartbreak in major knockout games.
Markram didn’t score in the first innings and got out for a duck, but he made a strong comeback in the second. He hit 14 boundaries and played a key role as South Africa chased down 282 runs before lunch on Day 4 to win the title.
Ponting shared his thoughts with ICC Digital and said that when people think of big moments in ICC finals, innings like Travis Head’s 137 in the ODI World Cup final or the 163 in the last WTC final usually come to mind. According to him, Markram’s hundred belongs in that same elite category. He felt this knock stood out even more because of the tough times South Africa’s Test team had gone through in the last few years.
“When you look back through big ICC events, I think the first thing that probably comes to mind is World Cup finals,” Ponting told ICC Digital.
“And then probably Travis Head’s innings (137) in the World Cup final, and then the last World Test Championship final (163). And this one’s got to be absolutely as good as any of those, considering the stage, considering where South African cricket’s been over the last couple of years, particularly their Test side.”
South Africa didn’t reach the final in the first two editions of the World Test Championship (WTC), but things changed after January 2023 when Shukri Conrad became head coach and Temba Bavuma took over as captain. Since then, the team has been on a great run, winning eight Test matches in a row which is just one short of their all-time record.
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One of the biggest changes was bringing back Aiden Markram. He had been dropped from the Australia tour in the 2022-23 season due to poor form. But after being recalled in early 2023, Markram made a strong comeback by scoring 115 in his first match back. Since then, he has shown a much more focused and confident approach in Test cricket, including a gritty century against India in Cape Town and his incredible knock at Lord’s.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting praised Markram’s performance, saying that stepping up and delivering when the team needs it most is how players build their reputation. Ponting mentioned that people always knew Markram had talent.
He also admitted he was surprised when Markram wasn’t even included in South Africa’s squad for the Australia tour a few years ago. Fast forward to now, and Markram has delivered what Ponting believes could be the best innings of his career. Ponting said that if Markram were asked, he would probably agree that this knock is the one he’s most proud of. He added that Markram’s teammates would likely feel the same after watching the innings from the dressing room.
“To be able to stand up and perform like that when your team needs you the most is what reputations are made of. I think everyone’s always known how good a player Aiden Markram was,” Ponting added.
“And I must admit, a couple of years ago when South Africa toured Australia, I couldn’t believe that Aiden Markram wasn’t in that touring squad at all. He didn’t even make the squad.
“And here we are a couple of years later and he’s played one of probably his greatest knocks. I’m sure if you asked him, he’d probably say that that’s the knock that he’s most proud of in his Test career, and I am pretty sure his teammates who watched it all unfold would probably say the same thing.
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