LONDON (AP) — Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma didn't have the pleasure of finishing off what they started.
No problem. South Africa won the World Test Championship and that's all that mattered to them.
It was fitting that Markram and Bavuma led the comeback with the bat as South Africa beat Australia by five wickets by completing a run chase of 282 at Lord's on the fourth day Saturday.
They were the linchpins of a batting unit considered to be South Africa's weak point and their partnership of 147 — 143 on Friday — tore the game away from Australia after the bowlers dominated the first two days.
But their stand was almost over before it began when Bavuma strained his left hamstring on 9 just before tea on Friday. He was hobbling, struggling to run.
Coach Shukri Conrad didn't want Bavuma to continue.
“The coaches thought the wiser decision was to let someone else in who could run properly,” Bavuma said. “But I thought it was important I stayed out here and put up a total. It could've gone the other way and I could've been criticized but we're here now.”
Markram was worried when Bavuma was injured but the captain's confidence reassured him.
“He wanted to know if (running) twos becoming ones would affect me. I said no chance, it's about the partnership, getting the ball softer,” Markram said. “He still managed to run twos and threes. He showed a lot of adrenaline, a lot of leadership and character.”
Bavuma, ragged but controlled, added only one more run on Saturday to his overnight 65.
“We got the best of the batting conditions,” Conrad said. “Two-eighty was always going to be a stiff task. Aiden and Temba stood tall and took us through. I was the one who said Temba shouldn't bat (after the injury) but the partnership was critical, and they know better than the coaches.”
Bavuma, South Africa's first Black captain, has been at ease with himself a lot more since Conrad became the coach two years ago. Together, they have won 11 of 15 tests. Bavuma is unbeaten in 10 tests as a captain.
Previously, he struggled with being the hope of a nation, anxious trying to prove something to everyone ahead of himself. When he suffered untimely drops in form at the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup, he was savagely abused on social media and in public.
“It's not easy being captain of South Africa,” he said. “All the sacrifice, disappointment, at that moment (of winning the final) it really feels worth it.
“When you are going through it all, giving up is always an option in the back of your mind but something wills you on. For me, it’s that moment there. (I want) to be recognized as more than just a black African cricketer, and to be seen as someone who has done something the country has wanted. I will walk around with my chest out and hope it continues to inspire our country.”
Markram also silenced his doubters.
His MVP-winning 136, only his second century away from home in eight years, is expected to give the allrounder who opens the confidence to lift his test reputation to the repute he enjoys in T20s and ODIs.
Until this match, Markram was the only South Africa captain to win a World Cup, the under-19 version in 2014. His test career has roller-coastered but he was recalled by Conrad and backed by Bavuma. Markram led the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup final and scarred by defeat when victory was in sight, another tribute to his resilience.
“I thought a lot about the T20 World Cup last night and how helpless I felt after getting out,” he said. "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 admitted he slept “horribly” but endured until six runs were needed. He was at the crease for six hours, 23 minutes.
“It will rank up there as number one,” he said. "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.”
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Foster Niumata, The Associated Press
