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Aiden Markram Hits Special Century As SA Inch Closer To WTC Final Win vs Australia

Aashay Chopade

Aiden Markram in WTC final (Source: AP Photos)Aiden Markram in WTC final (Source: AP Photos)

Aiden Markram has always been considered a special cricketer due to his talent, but consistency has not been his strongest suit. However, in the last few years, the batter has shown signs of maturing and has now used all of that in the WTC final against Australia to stroke one of the most memorable tons by a South African cricketer.

The Proteas are chasing a target of 282 in the final innings, and they needed Aiden Markram, one of their senior batters, to step up. He failed in the first innings, so the pressure was on him to deliver and tackle the new ball threat from the potent Australian attack. He did that with perfection, hitting his eighth century in Test cricket and a third in the fourth innings of a Test match.

Aiden Markram And Temba Bavuma Step Up Under Pressure In The WTC Final

Aiden Markram displayed great calmness and authority right from the onset. He continued playing his shots whenever the bowlers missed their lines and lengths, crossing the 100-run mark in just 156 balls. The knock has taken South Africa closer to a WTC final win and they now need just 69 runs on Day 4 to lift their first ICC title since 1998.

The Proteas opener hit 11 boundaries en route his fluent century and found an able partner in Temba Bavuma. The captain and vice-captain faced everything that was thrown at them, and although Bavuma struggled with his injury, he did not let the pressure of the final get into his head. The duo stitched an unbeaten 119-run stand, and South Africa have staged a superb comeback, with Australia failing to take a single wicket in the final session of Day 3.

The day started with Australia at a lead of 218 runs with two wickets in hand. Mitchell Starc stretched the lead to 281 runs with his fifty, and it looked like Australia would run away with the game. However, the two experienced Proteas have not allowed that to happen and are now very close to arguably the biggest win in South Africa's cricket history.