Aiden Markram has revealed the key to the Proteas’ successful run chase in the World Test Championship final against Australia. KHUNULOGO MPOLOKENG reports.

South Africa successfully reached their target of 282 over two days at Lord’s to be crowned Test world champions.

Opening batsman Markram (136) and Bavuma (66) added an invaluable 147 for the third wicket, despite Bavuma’s struggle with a hamstring injury for the majority of that stand.

Markram reflected on that partnership after the team’s arrival press conference at the CSA headquarters in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

“I actually didn’t say anything to him,” said Markram when asked what his words were to his captain when he was struggling during a key period in the contest. “He just walked past me and said: ‘I’m going to continue, do you think that’s fine?’

“The partnership was always the key, and there was still a bit in the wicket at that stage. Our role was just to extend the partnership for as long as we could because we knew that at some stage it was going to get nice to bat on and then we could go chase the runs.

“It was massive for Temba to do it with one leg, pretty much. I still remember that when we went back out I asked, ‘Obviously no quick singles, right?’ and he said ‘No, I’ll call it’, and then he was the guy who kept running for twos and threes. I think he was so fully invested in the moment that adrenaline carried him.”

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Markram’s eighth Test century, which moved him up seven spots to 11th in the ICC Test batting rankings, followed a first-innings duck.

“The ultimate goal in the second innings was just to get the first run, and then I thought from there I’ll just tackle the rest and take it on,” he said. “It was a thought in my mind – and I think it’s a thought in most batters’ minds – that with a pair [of ducks] in the final, I wouldn’t have slept very well.

“From there it was just about staying in the game because the conditions did get better for batting; the sun was out, which makes a big difference in the UK. Once we got through that initial sting of the new ball it felt like we could occupy the crease and we could transfer some pressure back to them. We just tried to do that for as long as we could.”

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Reflecting on his match-winning performance, Markram said: “It’s huge. It’s certainly one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life. As a team, we’re incredibly proud of it.

“To contribute adds to that feeling, of course, but ultimately it was about coming back as champions – that was always the focus and it was never going to change.

“The personal performance helps, but it’s not why we went there, we go there to win a game of cricket for South Africa, so I’m really chuffed that the result went our way.”

Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images