Proteas opener Aiden Markram put up a batting masterclass to slam a record-breaking century in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC 2025 Final) against Australia.
The dynamic right-hander remained unbeaten on 102* at Day 3 stumps and in the process, entered the record books as the first visiting batter in 41 years to hit a fourth-innings ton at Lord’s. The last time a non-English batter achieved the feat was Gordon Greenidge of West Indies in 1984 when he hit 214*.
It was an incredible turnaround from the SA batting star, who had scored a six-ball duck in the first innings.
Markram’s knock also played a pivotal role to put the Proteas in the driver’s seat as they eye their maiden WTC title. The Temba Bavuma-led side are now just 69 runs away with eight wickets in hand from scripting history and breaking their ICC title jinx.
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The 30-year-old also shattered multiple other records with his incredible century. Markram (3) eclipsed Proteas great AB de Villiers (2) for most hundreds scored by a batter in the fourth innings. Only Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and former SA skipper Graeme Smith have hit more tons in the final innings of a Test match (4).
Furthermore, Markram is now the second SA opener to score a duck in the first innings and 100 in the second with Gary Kirsten being the other Proteas to achieve the feat in 1999 against India with scores of (0 & 134). Markram is also the fourth opener at Lord’s to achieve the feat with Sid Barnes (AUS), Roy Fredericks (WI) and Michael Vaughan (ENG) being the other names.
Speaking about the SA vs AUS match, the Aussies batted first and posted 212 in first innings while Kaigso Rabada produced an excellent bowling spell of 15.4-5-51-5. Next, Australia captain Pat Cummins delivered with the ball, taking a six-wicket haul to restrict South Africa to 138 and establish a 74-run lead for the Aussies.
In the second Australian innings, they were bundled out for 207 with Rabada once again leading the Proteas bowling attack with four wickets. The Australia innings would have wrapped up earlier but a 59-run stand between Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the last wicket added crucial runs.
Those runs turned out to be extremely decisive to keep the defending champions in the hunt for a second WTC win as the Proteas came out with a clear goal of taking on the attack in the fourth innings. A big 143-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma for the third wicket has inched the Proteas close to the target with the scoreboard reading 213 for 2 at the end of Day 3’s play.
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