Led by Temba Bavuma, the Proteas were crowned World Test Championship (WTC) champions against Australia over the weekend, and in this story, I’m going to explain why I never thought for a second that they were going to choke.
This Test team, since readmission into international cricket, has been highly successful and has been able to win when it counted most. Think back to a young Graeme Smith leading the side to their Test wins against hosts England in 2003 and beating Australia in a series for the first time on their home turf in 2008/2009.
Then, of course, there was the 2012 series in England when their star-studded team featuring names like Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander won the ICC Test Mace.
That was the equivalent of winning the WTC now, which was officially launched in 2019, around the time the legendary Steyn retired.
The Resilience of South Africa’s Test Cricket Legacy
By then, the golden era of the SA team was mostly over. The point here, though, is that the Test side has never been burdened with the chokers tag as they have won plenty of crunch matches and series when it counted most.
The limited-overs SA sides, of course, are a different story as ICC tournament glory continues to elude them, and that’s why I found it unfair to link the fortunes between the different formats.
Even the match broadcaster for the WTC final pointed to the fact that the Proteas had made it to two quarter-finals, 12 semi-finals, and one final without any silverware.
Test cricket is the ultimate format of the game, and the majority of top international cricketers will agree with that statement. And the fact that the Proteas have never shied away from that final step in Test cricket has always spoken volumes.
There’s nowhere to hide in Test cricket, and that’s why the true quality of SA cricket has shone through since their readmission to international cricket.
Key Performances in South Africa’s Epic WTC Final Victory
I’ve tried not to mention individual players of the current side, but it would be remiss of me not to applaud the performances of Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram in the WTC Final against Australia.
The first two days were a bowler’s paradise and led by Kagiso Rabada with nine wickets in the match, the Proteas set the tone by bowling out Australia cheaply for 212 in the trophy decider. South Africa then had their backs to their wall when they were bundled out for 138.
As the pitch began to turn into a better batting surface on day three, South Africa finally bowled out Australia, but it still meant they had to score 282 to win, which would have been the highest innings score of the final.
In stepped Aiden Markram. Now here’s a guy who has failed to deliver on his massive potential in Test cricket as he averages just over 36. Coming into the 46th Test of his career, the 30-year-old opener had scored just seven centuries.
The interesting stat for Markram though, was that four of his seven centuries had been scored in the fourth innings.
In the WTC Final, after scoring a duck in the first innings, Markram showed every bit of his potential as he scored a majestic 136 which was the foundation of SA’s chase.
At the other end, was Bavuma. Now here’s a player that epitomises the fighting spirit of a South African cricketer. After injuring his hamstring early in his innings, he continued to limp and provide the perfect support for Markram. And it wasn’t even surprising, Bavuma always comes to the party when South Africa need him most and there was no way a dodgy hamstring was going to stop him.
It was a day that will forever live in the history of SA cricket, and it was a victory that was a culmination of decades of top performances in the longest format of the game.
@Michael_Sherman
Sport
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