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Markram Outshines AB De Villiers In Legendary List With Magnificent Hundred In WTC Final

Kaushik Kashyap

Aiden Markram. [Source - HardCricketPix/x.com]Aiden Markram. [Source - HardCricketPix/x.com]

Batting in the fourth innings of a Test match is often one of the toughest challenges to a batter’s temperament, skill, and resilience. But for players destined for greatness, it becomes a stage to script history and Aiden Markram is just doing that in the ongoing World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.

Markram’s Century Rewrites The Record Books

Chasing a challenging target of 282, Markram stood tall amid immense pressure, crafting an unbeaten 102 by stumps on Day 3. This is his third century in the fourth innings of a Test match, a remarkable feat which puts him above the two modern-day South African greats AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in terms of most fourth-innings Test hundreds for the Proteas.

Players
Centuries
Graeme Smith4
Aiden Markram3
AB de Villiers2
Faf du Plessis2
Herbie Taylor2

Table - Most Test Centuries in 4th innings for South Africa

The legendary Graeme Smith is the one who is sitting at the throne with four centuries in the fourth inning to this name. Notably, Markram loves batting in the fourth innings as he has scored over 600 runs at an impressive average of 46.53. His current knock has taken South Africa to the brink of a historic triumph, needing just 69 more runs with eight wickets in hand.

Markram Marches South Africa Towards Glory on Day 4

Earlier in the day, the Proteas had to overcome a frustrating morning session with the ball, as Mitchell Starc looked unshakable and scored an unbeaten half-century, helping Australia recover from 73 for 7 to take them past 200.

In reply, South Africa lost Ryan Rickelton early, but a composed partnership between Markram and Wiaan Mulder helped them steady the ship and negotiate the new ball. Their 61-run stand laid the foundation before Starc struck again to remove Mulder.

However, captain Temba Bavuma, despite injuring his hamstring just before Tea, showed immense courage and joined Markram in a match-defining unbroken stand of 143 runs. He went on to score a gritty half-century that significantly added substance to the chase.

The duo remained unbeaten and walked off at stumps with glory just 69 runs away as the Rainbow Nation stands on the cusp of cricketing immortality on what will be a historic Saturday morning at Lord's.