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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Deserving winners: on South Africa's win at Lord's
It was a long wait that culminated in delight. Until Saturday's high at Lord's, South Africa was often resigned to playing second fiddle in the big cricketing contests. The Proteas always had strong units and some great players, but a stumble in the climactic stages of ICC events became the norm. Finally, when Temba Bavuma's men prevailed over defending champion Australia in the World Test Championship's summit clash in London, many ghosts were laid to rest. South Africa's previous ICC silverware was the title in the Wills International Cup at Dhaka in 1998. That tournament became the precursor to the Champions Trophy and even as this particular event grew, South Africa regressed with comical run-outs, dropped catches and miscalculation of rain-rules often becoming steep hurdles. To concede a first innings lead and then to chase 282 in a grim fourth innings pursuit was never easy, but a dogged Bavuma and centurion Aiden Markram ensured that the early strikes of spearhead Kagiso Rabada were never wasted. The trio performed admirably and it was also a reflection of the diverse ethnic groups that constitute South Africa, often called the Rainbow Nation. This fact and the need for unity was reiterated through Bavuma's impassioned post-match speech. The skipper truly led from the front. Cricket needed this result as whispers of the 'Big Three' of India, Australia and England, calling the shots and elbowing out other opposition in the overall scheduling have been doing the rounds. Besides applying salve to a country searching for cricketing glory, the South African triumph also revealed that other teams can acquire the champions' halo. To get past Pat Cummins and his men is always tough but Bavuma and his troops held firm in an engrossing Test. Australia has a potent attack that never allows batters to settle, and to counter this and emerge on top is a tribute to an outfit that was acutely conscious about past failures. Even last year, Markram's men slipped in the ICC T20 World Cup final against India. From being tagged as chokers and to then become the number one Test squad is a stupendous achievement. South Africa never had it easy in cricket as its previous apartheid policy rightly left it isolated from sport. The comeback was gradual from the 1990s and then the match-fixing crisis that consumed Hansie Cronje, was a mighty blow. To put all these setbacks and losses behind them needed a special effort and it was this that Bavuma and his men provided at cricket's spiritual home.
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Pat Cummins' classy response puts South Africa doubters to rest: ‘They made WTC final fair and square'
Temba Bavuma-led South Africa stunned the world by beating Australia to win the third edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) at the Lord's Cricket Ground on Saturday. The Proteas chased down 282 with five wickets in hand to win their second ICC Men's Senior title. South Africa had to wait 27 years for their second ICC title but it was definitely worth the wait. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma scored 136 and 66, respectively in the second innings to help South Africa chase down more than 280 runs in the fourth and final innings of the contest. After the defeat in the WTC final, Australia captain Pat Cummins spoke about South Africa's win in the Test Championship and the route they had to face in reaching the final. Ever since Proteas made the finals of the third edition of WTC, several cricket pundits questioned South Africa's path to the summit clash, saying the Rainbow Nation had an easier route as they didn't play bigger teams. Several naysayers also argued that South Africa just played a two-test series, and it was easier for them to clock points than Australia, England, and India, which played more five-match series. However, Cummins gave a classy response when asked about South Africa's route, saying the Proteas made it fair and square and there should be no questions raised about it. 'In terms of, you know, the way they made it, they made it fair and square - everyone has a slightly different, you know, route to make the final, but they absolutely deserve to make the final and showed why, you know, I think they're very deserving champions,' Cummins told reporters. In the second innings, Temba Bavuma battled a hamstring injury but he chose to fight out in the middle and not retire himself. Praising his knock, Cummins said, 'Yeah, I mean, first of all how he played, I thought he's fantastic is obviously gave that, you know, half a chance early and then didn't really give us another look until he got out.' Also Read: Temba Bavuma calls out Australia's distasteful sledging after WTC win 'He had a big partnership, so I thought he played really well. In terms of leading, it's always pretty hard unless you're kind of playing underneath someone to judge them, I think, so I don't know, but from the outside, he looked good,' he added. The Australia Test captain also reserved some high praise for opening batter Aiden Markram, who scored 136 in the second innings to help South Africa register a famous win. Mitchell Starc dismissed Markram for a duck in the first innings. However, the batter bounced back in style, and the Australian attack of Cummins, Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon had no answers to stop the onslaught. 'Yeah, I mean first of all how he played yeah, I thought he's fantastic is obviously gave that you know half a chance early and then didn't really give us another look until he got out,' said Cummins. 'He had a big partnership, so I thought he played really well. In terms of leading, it's always pretty hard unless you're kind of playing underneath someone to judge them I think so I don't know but from the outside he looked good," he added.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Langa to Lord's: Temba stands tall as Proteas 'Hope'
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi, Never ask Temba Bavuma 'what's there in a name'?They have trolled him for his pre-captaincy batting average, body shamed him, resorted to name calling but for Bavuma, the new World Test Champion captain from South Africa, it was all in the name 'Temba' given by his grandmother means 'Hope' in like his name, Temba never gave up on hope, that one day, the Proteas as a nation will be on top of the world at his dream ground --Lord' as Kyle Verreynne hit the winning runs, Temba covered his face with his palms even as others around him were perhaps wanted to hide his moistened eyes, didn't want to choke up like teammate Keshav Maharaj but after leading South Africa to its first ICC trophy in 27 first-ever Black Captain to win a global trophy for the Rainbow Nation -- probably the brightest colour in the VIBGYOR, the man, all of 63 inches vertically towered over an Australian team that has 10 ICC it is not just a victory of a cricket team but for all those Black South Africans, who have suffered during apartheid for years. Seeing their 'Little Big Man' who walked through that Lord's Long Room, entered the field, carried himself with utmost grace as he lifted the Golden the next chapter of South Africa's social history in the post apartheid era will be written, Temba , Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi's names will be enshrined in gold. There will be Indian origin players like Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy and white South Africans like Aiden Markram, David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs."Here's an opportunity for us as a nation, divided as we are, to unite. You can be rest assured we'll celebrate as one," Temba told Nasser Hussain during lanes of black dominated Langa in Cape Town to the tavern around St John's Wood in upscale London, everyday for past 25 years, Bavuma had a point to prove. First he is good enough to play the game at the top he can represent South Africa at the international level. And even better, he can lead an eclectic mix of talent with poise and discretion that no one could have envisaged when he took over from Dean Elgar few years you dare to dream, then dream like the boy from Langa, who pushed the barriers of physical pain at Lord's."In Langa we had a four-way street. On the right-hand side of the street the tar wasn't done so nicely and we used to call it Karachi because the ball would bounce funny."The other side was the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) but my favourite section of the street was clean, and done up nicely, and we called it Lord's because it just looked better. So, as a kid of 10, I already had that dream of playing at Lord's," he had recently told the 'Guardian' before the World Test Championship the age of 11, Temba was on a sports scholarship after being identified as a special talent. As a sixth grader, he had once written an essay that found its pride of place in school magazine."I see myself in fifteen years in my suit and shaking (then SA president Thabo) Mr Mbeki's hand congratulating me for making the South African side," sixth-grader Temba, wrote in his submission."If I do I would definitely thank my coaches and parents who support me all the way and especially my two uncles who gave me the skills of being one (a Proteas representative)," he always knew what he exactly 15 years, he was playing for South if one knows his goal, the journey however difficult it might be, never looked anyone who has a torn hamstring, the pain becomes unbearable. He wasn't able to run the quick twos and threes and even head coach Shukri Conrad didn't want him to continue."To be honest, a lot of it came from him. He's led us from the front for the last two-three years. He didn't want to walk off the field yesterday, found a way to score really important runs, played an innings lot of people will remember," said hero of the final Aiden he was appointed the captain, there were voices down the corridors of South African cricket establishment that raised questions if he was deserving. His batting average was in early 30s but little did they think that with a game built on copious amount of patience and the grit that was on show on Friday, Temba would be averaging 57 plus as a batter when he captained South it is not his on-field achievements that makes him special but off-field connections that he has made over the years that makes him an endearing human being. One who believes in never had any ill feelings when Quinton de Kock didn't take a knee to support ' Black Lives Matter ' movement. But in the last three years, he has shown how to take everyone along -- the Blacks, the Whites and the Coloured."The biggest word for me is inclusiveness, and guys are seeking excellence in everything they do. We are pushing each other, we are pushing the boundaries and we are trying to get better and better. There's openness in the team," he had told ESPN Cricinfo in an runs a foundation which helps underprivileged children get education and chance to excel at sport like he did. He lives a quiet life with his wife Phila Lobi, a Real Estate Mogul and his when need be, he knows he has a standing and raises his voice for right Bavuma is certainly a captain on the field but more so a leader off it.
Al Jazeera
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Emotional South Africa beat Australia sealing first major cricket title
South Africa have secured their first major title by beating defending champions Australia by five wickets in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The Proteas knocked off the remaining 29 runs they needed before lunch on Saturday – sealing the win with more than a day and a half to spare, and sparking emotional celebrations in front of a packed crowd. They moved from a portentous 213-2 overnight to 282-5, the second-highest successful run chase in the 141-year Rest history at the self-proclaimed home of cricket. Australia did not give up the WTC mace easily, relentlessly attacking the stumps and pressuring a South Africa side with an infamous history of blowing winning positions on big ICC stages. But South Africa was staunch and composed, only three boundaries in more than two hours, and lost only three wickets on Saturday in an air of inevitability. 'We've come a long way as a team, as a country,' an emotional Keshav Maharaj said. 'We always say we want to be good people and play good. We're moving in the right direction as a cricketing nation. Referencing South Africa's last title of any kind, the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy, Maharaj fought back tears in adding, 'After 27 years of pain, to finally get over the line is super emotional. We're so grateful to have Temba (Bavuma, captain) to get us over the line. 'Diversity is our strength, so to see the crowd, they stand for the meaning of our rainbow nation. To lift the trophy is going to unite the nation even more.' The desperate Australians used up all of their three reviews in vain within the first 90 minutes, but fought to the end. They took the new ball but were still blunted by a flat pitch. Markram was the colossus Australia could not topple until it was too late. The opener resumed the day on 102 and was out for 136 when only six more runs were needed. He spent six hours, 23 minutes in the middle. About 15 minutes later, Kyle Verreynne broke the tension by hitting the winning run, a drive into the covers. Markram and captain Temba Bavuma set up the victory with an unbeaten and chanceless partnership of 143 runs the day before. They could not finish what they started, adding only four runs together before Bavuma edged Pat Cummins behind for 66, one more than he had overnight. Tristan Stubbs was castled on 8 by Mitchell Starc with 41 runs needed and South Africa was too close to the finish to be denied. But Markram could not have the pleasure himself. With six runs needed to win, he was caught at midwicket by Travis Head off Josh Hazlewood. Australia did not celebrate. Instead, players slapped Markram on the back and congratulated him on his match-winning knock as the Lord's crowd stood and applauded. They stood again when the end finally came, a rout of red-hot Australia with five sessions to spare. South Africa's history on the ICC's biggest stages has been infamously cruel. The venues and dates of their most heart-breaking losses include Birmingham 1999, Dhaka 2011, Auckland 2015, Kolkata 2023 and Bridgetown 2024. But London 2025 will go down as one of the greatest days in South African sport, when its cricket underdogs grabbed the advantage and did not let go against one of the great Australia Test sides to seal the title that ranks alongside the ICC's Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup. South Africa were criticised before the final for its supposedly easier road — it did not face Australia or England in a series in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle — but it has won eight straight tests, its second-longest streak in history, and half of them away from home.
The Independent
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Temba Bavuma and South Africa's unlikely triumph shows why Test cricket is worth saving
Cradling the Test mace, soaking up the sweet taste of success, Temba Bavuma perhaps took a moment to reflect on a long and unlikely journey to the top of the world. Many a great South African captain had tried and failed to lead their side to this sort of triumph, many a team of top talents falling short, the Protea name becoming a byword for blunders with the line in sight. And so it took the lad from Langa, all of five-foot-four in his spikes but a towering figure in so many senses, to overcome the derision and doubters to lead the Rainbow Nation to unlikely cricketing glory. While his tale is well told, it is worth reflecting again on the barriers Bavuma had to overcome. When first picked, certain sections of South Africa suggested a Black batter had been picked only due to transformation targets; after cementing himself in the side and earning an elevation, they questioned his captaincy. The critics are quieter now. For this victory is a story of resilience and breaking barriers, both personally and for the team. It is impossible to disentangle the story of South African cricket from matters of race, not least due to the 22-year isolation under the apartheid regime. Further back, their first series against Australia in 1902 featured a standout performance from Charlie 'Buck' Llewellyn, the first non-white South African Test cricketer – there would not be another until 1992. Until Bavuma's breakthrough hundred in Cape Town in 2016, no Black player had ever made a century for South Africa. But a team broadly drawn and led superbly by their captain, who averages nigh on 50 in the last five years, are Test champions of the world against all odds. There were plenty of detractors and doubters who felt it unfair that South Africa had played a softer schedule on their way to this final but over three-and-a-bit days they have proved themselves as worthy winners. 'I think this team's greatest strength is its unity,' batting coach Ashwell Prince said after day three. 'They are well aware that South Africa have had much greater individual players, but there is something special going on in our dressing room. 'If I'm honest, there was no talk about proving anybody wrong. There was a lot of talk about our route to the final, who we played against, and people have their opinions about that. We'd love to play against everybody more often – especially if there are big-money series where we can make some money.' Prince's words felt important because beyond the triumph lies cause for concern. This showpiece occasion displayed the best of Test cricket and yet there will be no triumphant homecoming scheduled for the champions, with no home five-day fixture scheduled for South Africa's men in their upcoming summer. It is little more than a year since Dean Elgar, Bavuma's predecessor as skipper, retired from his favourite format citing a lack of fixtures. Changes may be on the way to a World Test Championship that has brought certain benefits in contextualising long-form cricket but just as many headaches and headlines. At launch, the concept of the final was controversial yet it has been a welcome addition, heightening the stakes and each time producing a compelling contest. It is thought that the game is set to remain in England for the next few editions. Lord's has felt an appropriate venue for the fixture given its history and prestige, and has looked resplendent with close to capacity crowds and the sun beating down. Aided by immigration, the sheer interest in Test cricket in London ensures that tickets will be snapped up virtually regardless of who is involved - and the South African diaspora were in great voice throughout the final. There will understandably be a temptation to take it to the giant Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad given India's power within the game and population but the swathes of empty seats that this game might have been played to there would not have been a great look. The Pakistan issue would pose another problem. The final's position in the calendar may need some thought, though, following as it does the big block of white-ball cricket caused by the IPL. Both South Africa and Australia's batters looked lacking in preparation in the first innings particularly, with no real time to groove their techniques against the moving red ball. Indeed, the final reflected a trend more broadly of faster, more frantic Tests. 2024 was the year with the lowest bowling strike rate of any in the longest format since 1907 – though run rates are generally on the rise, too. Within that, though, may be an answer to some of the issues bedevilling Test cricket. Four-day encounters remain rarities within the schedule but with fewer and fewer encounters extending to a full 15 sessions, there is surely an argument to explore the possibility of contracting slightly. When accounting for a slight reduction in rest between Tests, a three-match series made up of games comprised of four days could be squeezed in significantly quicker than those held over five. It will perhaps feel anathema for the purists to reduce the ebb and flow that makes this game so engaging but a look at the landscape shows that something must be done. There has not been a single three-match Test series not involving at least one of England, Australia and India since 2019, a preference for short and sharp series not allowing narratives to build. In that sense, three times four is surely better than two times five. Fears over the competitive fairness in the World Test Championship are somewhat undermined by the convolution that already exists, with nations not playing identical schedules and contesting series of different lengths. Some would suggest that such a condensing could lead to a predominance of draws yet such dispiriting results have been all but eroded from the game as currently constructed – and the increased time pressures could lead to bolder captaincy to add yet more tactical complexity. The other option, of course, would be a fairer sharing of the revenue, but the economic heft that India provides the game somewhat understandably sees it hoard much of its wealth. It does feel slightly jarring to see the gaudy sums on offer in franchise cricket, though, when nations like Ireland are unable to schedule the Test cricket they need to develop due to financial concerns. The idea of two divisions will not go away – it will be divisive but should it provide the fixtures that smaller nations need, there are worse ideas. One would not have confidence that the necessary scheduling safeguards would be in place in such a scenario. But there is clearly something to savour and take solace in here. The final progressed at breakneck speed for two days and clearly mattered much, every ball an event, the themes and throughlines evident. Test cricket has been fortunate for figures like Pat Cummins, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Virat Kohli and others for championing it through word and deed. And the sight of Bavuma clutching the ultimate prize at Lord's is an image that deserves to endure.
