Aiden Markram Shines with Century in WTC Final, Praised by Keshav Maharaj

Markram's Historic Performance at Lord's

In a remarkable display at the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 held at Lord's, London, South Africa's left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj hailed opener Aiden Markram as a "big-match player" after he scored a century against Australia on Friday.

Markram's impressive innings of 102 not out off 159 deliveries made him the first South African batter to achieve a century in an ICC tournament final.

He also joined an elite group as the fourth South African to score a century in ICC knockout matches, following in the footsteps of Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, and David Miller.

During an interview with ICC Digital after Day 3, Maharaj noted, "I noticed a different level of determination and focus in Aiden's eyes when he left the field before batting. He was eager to correct the mistakes from his first innings."

Maharaj praised Markram's ability to rise to the occasion, stating, "He’s a big match player, and great players know how to quickly rectify their errors. There couldn't be a more fitting moment for him to score a Test hundred at Lord's in a final against a team that has rarely lost in such situations."

Additionally, Maharaj acknowledged the efforts of captain Temba Bavuma, who scored 65 runs off 121 balls despite battling a hamstring injury. Bavuma's resilience was crucial in forming an unbeaten partnership of 143 runs, bringing South Africa closer to victory.

"Despite his injury, Temba showed incredible spirit and was there to support Aiden. It was inspiring to hear how they strategized together during the tea break, especially knowing Temba couldn't run at full speed, but Aiden adapted to that," Maharaj concluded.