South Africa captain Temba Bavuma asked the whole country to enjoy the moment of their long-awaited victory after 27 years.
There was plenty of criticism around South Africa’s performance in the ICC Test Championship final. Many experts and cricket fans didn’t even consider them worthy finalists. But after chasing down the target with authority and defeating the mighty Australia to claim the trophy, Bavuma strongly responded to the critics.
By winning the final at Lord’s on Saturday by 5 wickets, South Africa ended their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy. Thanks to Aiden Markram’s century and Bavuma’s fifty, they reached the target of 282 runs in the first session of the fourth day.
This historic ground, known as cricket’s pilgrimage site, has witnessed only one higher successful chase in Test cricket. In 1984, West Indies won chasing 342 against England, powered by Gordon Greenidge’s brilliant double century. In 2004, England also chased down 282 here against New Zealand.
Before the final, South Africa hadn’t played Australia or England in this Test Championship cycle. All three home series were against subcontinent teams (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), while two of their three away series were against lower-ranked teams Bangladesh and West Indies. Their main challenge was the New Zealand tour.
Australia reached the final after playing 19 Tests, while South Africa played only 12 before the final. This format and South Africa’s route to the final had attracted criticism, with many doubting their place.
After the final, Bavuma said, “Maybe now the doubters will change their minds.”
“I believe we made it to the final as a team. There was doubt about the path we chose, with many saying we only played weak teams. We are happy to have performed like this, and hopefully, that perception will change.”
Despite many divisions within the country, Bavuma urged everyone to enjoy this long-awaited moment together.
“I think this is an opportunity for our country… No matter how divided we are sometimes, let’s forget everything and enjoy this moment and unite as one. I’m sure the people will celebrate this success with us. We will also celebrate it widely.”
Bavuma said the support from the crowd at Lord’s felt like playing at home.
“These were special days. The support in the gallery made us feel like we were back in South Africa at times. We prepared hard and worked very hard for this moment. We came here full of confidence. We are happy we played well enough to achieve this result.”
