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Key Points

Aiden Markram stood firm with an unbeaten 49 as South Africa reached 94/2 at tea, needing 188 more runs for victory. Mitchell Starc took two wickets but Australia's bowlers struggled to contain the scoring rate. Skipper Temba Bavuma tweaked his hamstring before tea, while Steve Smith left the field with a possible finger injury. The final session will test South Africa's resilience in their chase for the WTC title.

Key Points: Aiden Markram 49 not out as South Africa chase 188 in WTC Final

  • Markram anchors chase with unbeaten 49
  • Starc takes 2 wickets but Australia struggle
  • Bavuma injured, Smith exits with finger concern
  • South Africa need 188 for historic win
2 min read

WTC Final: Markram hits unbeaten 49 as South Africa require 188 runs for victory against Australia

South Africa reach 94/2 at tea, needing 188 more runs against Australia in the WTC Final with Markram unbeaten on 49.

"Markram oozed confidence through his shots in the covers and point regions. – Match Report"

London, June 13

Aiden Markram held one end firm to be unbeaten on 49 off 66 balls as South Africa reached 94/2 in 24 overs in their second innings against Australia at tea on Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship Final at the Lord’s on Friday, requiring 188 more runs for victory.

With the sun being out and the pitch becoming flat, Markram was proficient in his drives to lead a solid batting performance for South Africa in that middle session. Though Mitchell Starc took two wickets after hitting a gritty half-century in the first session, Australia’s other bowlers couldn’t really trouble the batters, who have kept the scoring rate healthy.

But South Africa would be hoping skipper Temba Bavuma is fine after being in serious pain post-tweaking his hamstring, ten minutes before the tea break. Bavuma managed to walk off at 11 not out, but an assessment in the break will determine if he will resume his innings in the final session.

Just like the first innings, Starc struck early on by swinging one away from Ryan Rickelton, who tried to drive through cover, but he could only nick behind to Alex Carey. With Markram oozing confidence through his shots in the covers and point regions, Wiaan Mulder was great on the cut, punch, and pull.

Though Nathan Lyon managed to nearly castle Mulder through the gate, the all-rounder firmly latched on to an overpitched delivery to pick a boundary and raise South Africa’s hopes of chasing an improbable total.

But Starc delivered another breakthrough for Australia by coming from around the wicket and forcing Mulder to hit straight to Marnus Labuschagne at cover, who grabbed a good, low catch. The pacer could have got Bavuma in the 20th over when the South African skipper was squared up and the ball flew to Steve Smith at wide first slip.

But Smith couldn’t grab the catch and was left in pain. With a whisper of possible finger dislocation, Smith headed straight off the field, with Sam Konstas coming as a substitute fielder before South Africa ended a good session with fear around whether Bavuma would run freely.

Brief scores:

Australia 212 and 207 all out in 65 overs (Mitchell Starc 58, Alex Carey 43; Kagiso Rabada 4-59, Lungi Ngidi 3-38) lead South Africa 138 and 94/2 in 24 overs (Aiden Markram 49; Mitchell Starc 2-37) by 188 runs

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a gripping Test match! Markram is showing real class here. Hope Bavuma recovers quickly - we need a proper contest in the final session. Australia still favorites but SA fighting hard! 🏏 #WTCFinal
P
Priya M.
Starc is carrying Australia single-handedly! 2 wickets and a fifty - proper all-round performance. But the pitch seems to be easing out now. Should've picked Lyon more in first innings.
A
Arjun S.
Watching from Mumbai with chai and samosas! 😄 This is why Test cricket is the best - twists every session. That Smith dropped catch could be costly. Proteas showing great fight after that first innings collapse.
S
Sanjana P.
Injuries piling up on both sides - not ideal for a championship final. ICC should consider longer gaps between tournaments. But what a match! Markram's cover drives are pure poetry.
V
Vikram J.
As an Indian fan, watching this makes me miss our team in the final. But credit to both teams - proper Test cricket at Lord's. That Rabada spell earlier was 🔥! Hope Bavuma comes back - captain's innings needed now.
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Neha R.
Why does SA always choke in big matches? 😅 Jokes aside, they're doing well here. But 188 more on 5th day pitch with Lyon... tough ask. Australia's tail wagged big time - that's the difference so far.

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