Aiden Markram joins elite list with classy ton on Day 3 of SA vs AUS WTC 2025 final
South African batter Aiden Markram hit a brilliant ton to put his team in a commanding position at stumps on Day 3 of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's on Friday, June 13. Set a target of 282, the Proteas reached 213-2 at close of play, with Markram unbeaten on 102 and skipper Temba Bavuma on 65. South Africa need 69 runs for victory on Day 4.
While Bavuma played a resolute knock despite suffering from a hamstring injury, Markram was undoubtedly the hero of the day for South Africa. The right-handed batter brought up his third century as an opener in the fourth innings of a Test match and eighth overall. The 30-year-old is now joint-second on the list of openers with the most hundreds in the fourth innings of a Test match.
Apart from Markram, Herbert Sutcliffe, Geoffrey Boycott, Gordon Greenidge and Graham Gooch also have three centuries while opening the innings in the fourth innings of a Test match. India's Sunil Gavaskar and South Africa's Graeme Smith are on top of the list with four hundreds each.
Before his ton at Lord's against Australia on Friday, Markram had scored 108 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in February 2021. The effort, which featured 13 fours and three sixes, however, went in vain as the Proteas fell short in a chase of 370, losing the Test by 95 runs.
The South African batter's first hundred as an opener in the fourth innings of a Test match was registered against Australia in Durban in March 2018. The elegant batter struck 143 off 218 balls, hitting 19 fours. This knock also came in a losing cause as the Proteas were bowled out for 298 after being set a target of 417.
Aiden Markram stuns Australia with stellar ton on Day 3 of the WTC 2025 final
Australia resumed Day 3 of the WTC 2025 final at Lord's at 144-8 in their second innings. They ended up posting 207 on the board as Mitchell Starc scored a defiant 58* off 136 balls, while Josh Hazlewood contributed 17 off 53. The last-wicket pair added 59 before Markram dismissed Hazlewood at the stroke of lunch.
Chasing 282, South Africa lost Ryan Rickelton for six to Starc. Markram and Wiaan Mulder (27) then added 61 for the second wicket before the latter also fell to Starc. Bavuma then joined Markram and the duo added an unbroken 143 by stumps. Both batters displayed great temperament to keep Australia's bowlers at bay.