South Africa Triumphs Over Australia in Historic World Test Championship Final

Sledging and the Choke Narrative

The Australian cricket team is notorious for its sledging tactics, and they continued this tradition during the World Test Championship final. Temba Bavuma, the victorious captain from South Africa, disclosed that he overheard the Australians repeatedly using the term 'choke' while batting. In an interview with BBC Test Match Special, Bavuma remarked,

"While we were at the crease, we could hear the Aussies mentioning that dreaded word, choke. The label of being chokers was thrown around this morning. One of their players even suggested we could still be bowled out... I definitely caught that."

South Africa has often been labeled as chokers due to their history of failing in crucial moments. Prior to the final, Australia was favored to win, especially with their strong lineup, including Josh Hazlewood, who has never lost a final. This reputation put additional pressure on the South African team, prompting former Proteas legends like Graeme Smith to urge against labeling the young squad.

In a remarkable turn of events, Temba Bavuma led his team to break the 27-year-old chokers' curse by defeating the formidable Australians by five wickets. He expressed his joy at making history for both himself and his nation, stating,

"It has been years since we last triumphed in a final; we are now etched in history. We are part of something unprecedented."

Aiden Markram's Stellar Performance

Alongside Bavuma, Aiden Markram emerged as a key player in the chase. After scoring a duck in the first innings, he rebounded impressively, contributing 136 runs before being dismissed with just six runs remaining. During the post-match presentation, Markram expressed his relief at shedding the choker label, saying,

"It would be fantastic to never hear that word [choke] again, that's for sure."

Markram's outstanding performance earned him the player of the match award, and he also took a wicket in each innings. With this victory, South Africa became the third nation to claim the Test mace since the World Test Championship's inception in 2021.