Published: Jun 16, 2025, 04:35 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 16, 2025, 04:35 PM (IST)
South Africa batsman Aiden Markram played an brilliant innings of 136 runs in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). His century impressed former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
Aiden Markram was dropped from the South Africa squad during the 2022–23 season due to a dip in form. However, he marked a strong comeback in Tests with a brilliant 115-run knock against the West Indies, followed by another century against India in Cape Town, signaling his return to top form.
After the thrilling World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, Ricky Ponting lauded Markram’s sensational century, calling it one of the finest he could remember on such a grand stage, as it played a crucial role in South Africa’s title triumph.
“When you look back through big ICC events, I think the first thing that probably comes to mind is World Cup finals,” Ponting told ICC Digital.
“And then probably Travis Head’s innings (137) in the World Cup (2023) final, and then the last World Test Championship final (163). And this one is got to be absolutely as good as any of those, considering the stage, considering where South African cricket’s been over the last couple of years, particularly their Test side,” he added.
After missing out on the WTC Final in the first two editions, South Africa discovered a fresh path under head coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma from January 2023. Their triumph at Lord’s marked their eighth consecutive Test win, just one short of their all-time record.
A key change in the South African setup under the new leadership was the comeback of Aiden Markram, who had been left out of the 2022/23 Australia tour due to a prolonged dip in form.
Markram justified the faith shown in him with a brilliant 115 on his return in February 2023 and has since looked like a more focused and determined red-ball batter. His gritty century against India on a challenging Cape Town pitch in January 2024 and his masterclass at Lord’s stand as prime examples.
“To be able to stand up and perform like that when your team needs you the most is what reputations are made of. I think everyone has always known how good a player Markram was,” Ponting added.
“And I must admit, a couple of years ago, when South Africa toured Australia, I could not believe that Aiden Markram was not in that touring squad at all. He did not even make the squad.”
“And here we are a couple of years later and he has played one of probably his greatest knocks. I am sure if you asked him, he would probably say that that is the knock that he is most proud of in his Test career, and I am pretty sure his teammates who watched it all unfold would probably say the same thing.”
“So, it is a great individual achievement for him, and it’s a magnificent achievement for the South African team,” he concluded.
