Aiden Markram’s Century Puts South Africa Ahead in WTC Final 2025
On Day 3 of the WTC Final 2025, South Africa’s opener Aiden Markram played a calm and strong innings that became one of the biggest moments of the match. Playing against Australia at Lord’s in London, Markram scored 102* runs from 159 balls and became the first South African batter to score a century in an ICC tournament final.
This century was not just a personal achievement, but also a new record in South Africa’s cricket history. He did something no Proteas batter had done before in an ICC final. This special performance proved again that Markram is a big-match player.
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Markram becomes fourth South African to score a century in ICC knockout matches
Aiden Markram is now the fourth South African to score a century in ICC knockout games. Jacques Kallis scored 113* in the 1998 ICC Knockout semifinal against Sri Lanka. Then in the 2002 Champions Trophy semifinal, Herschelle Gibbs made 116* against India. After that, in the 2023 World Cup semifinal, David Miller scored 101 against Australia.
Markram followed the same path and delivered this golden knock in the WTC Final 2025, with perfect timing and strong impact.
Maharaj says Markram had a different mindset, calls him a player who shines on big stages
South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj said that Markram’s innings was not just about scoring runs, but also about showing strong mental strength. Speaking to ICC Digital, Maharaj said, “When Aiden came back from the field before his batting, I saw something different in his eyes. I felt that he wanted to fix the mistake he made in the first innings.”
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He added, “This is what big players do – they prepare well and take charge when it matters most. Scoring a Test hundred at Lord’s, in a final, against a team that has never lost an ICC final before – this was a big moment for him.”
According to Maharaj, Markram stayed calm under pressure and gave the right response at the right time.
Bavuma also showed leadership and fight, stood with the team despite injury
It wasn’t just Markram who stood out. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma also played a key role. He scored 65* runs from 121 balls while playing with a hamstring injury. His unbeaten 143-run partnership with Markram became the turning point of the match.
Maharaj praised him and said, “Bavuma had a slight injury, but he showed great fighting spirit. When both players came back after the tea break, their understanding was clear – they were ready to handle the situation together.”
He added that even though Bavuma couldn’t run at full speed, Markram adjusted and helped balance the game.
Markram’s calm century becomes the key moment of the match for South Africa
Aiden Markram’s century was a game-changing moment in the WTC Final 2025. While everyone was under pressure, he stayed calm and brought the game in South Africa’s favour. His unbeaten partnership with Temba Bavuma helped the team get very close to a win.
This innings is an example for young cricketers who want to learn how to prepare mentally and technically for big matches.
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