Temba Bavuma claims Australia sledged South Africa in the WTC Final; says 'when we were batting, we could hear...'

South Africa finally broke their ICC trophy drought after years of stumbling at the final hurdles. The long-elusive trophy was finally lifted when the Proteas defeated Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's on Saturday.

The win came on the back of a superb partnership between captain Temba Bavuma and his deputy Aiden Markram while chasing 282 runs in the fourth innings. Beyond overcoming Australia's strong team and winning mentality to achieve the victory, South Africa had to overcome this mental burden of their own, and one which the Australians made a point of pressuring on the pitch with their words.

Bavuma confirmed in his post-match quotes that the Australians were sledging them relentlessly.


“While we were batting we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word: choke,” said Bavuma. “We came in with a lot of belief and a lot of doubters. We got ourselves into the final, there were doubters as to the route we took. This win squashes that. Here’s an opportunity for us as a nation, divided as we are, to unite.”

South Africa's previous heartbreak was not too long ago. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final, they lost the match from a winning position. This match, however, was a good revenge for their painful 1999 World Cup semifinal loss to Australia, also in England.

“As a country, it’s a chance for us to rejoice in something, to forget about our issues and really come together. I hope it inspires and continues to inspire our country. For this group of players, there were a lot of doubters but the way we played would have wiped all of that out,” the Protean skipper added, emphasising that the team’s collective strength was a big reason for their success.

His reliable vice-captain and man-of-the-match Markram echoed the thoughts, speaking about how shedding that tag would be a boost for this team heading into the future.

“It’ll be great to not have to hear that again. To have got the job done and to get rid of that is quite a big thing for this team. All the questions that have been asked in the past have now been answered,” Markram said.