Temba Bavuma creates history with THIS unique feat after WTC glory

LONDON: South African captain Temba Bavuma etched his name into cricketing history by becoming the first-ever skipper to win the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title without losing a single match. 

South Africa secured a five-wicket victory over Australia in the WTC 2025 final at Lord’s, claiming their first major ICC trophy in 27 years.

Chasing a challenging target of 282, the Proteas were led by Aiden Markram’s stunning 136 and Bavuma’s gritty 66, despite the skipper battling a hamstring injury. 

The duo shared a vital 147-run stand for the third wicket, steering their team from a position of caution to control and ultimately, triumph.

Bavuma’s performance in this WTC cycle has been exceptional. He captained South Africa in eight matches, winning seven and drawing one. 

Overall, under his leadership, South Africa remains unbeaten in 10 Tests—nine wins and one draw—a rare feat in modern Test cricket.

In the final, Bavuma contributed 36 runs in the first innings and followed it with a valiant 66 in the second. 

His injury early in the final innings didn’t stop him from building the crucial partnership with Markram that paved the way for victory. 

He now also holds an impressive personal record—scoring 30 or more runs in nine consecutive Test innings—second only to England’s Ted Dexter among Test captains.

At the beginning of Day 4, South Africa stood at 213/2, needing 69 runs to win. Bavuma and Markram resumed on 65 and 102 respectively. 

Bavuma was dismissed early by his counterpart Pat Cummins after adding just one run. Tristan Stubbs followed soon after, falling to Mitchell Starc for 8.

But any hopes of an Australian comeback were quickly dashed as David Bedingham joined Markram to add an unbeaten 35-run stand, taking South Africa to the brink. 

Markram was finally dismissed by Josh Hazlewood for a magnificent 136 off 207 balls, which included 14 boundaries.

The victory ended South Africa’s long wait for global glory, their first major ICC title since the 1998 Champions Trophy, and helped shed their long-standing image as perennial “chokers” in knockout tournaments.