South Africa overcame all obstacles in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final and pulled off a tremendous victory by 5 wickets against the former titleholders, Australia. After 27 years, the Proteas have finally found a way to win their second ICC trophy, having won their maiden ICC title in the Champions Trophy 1998.

Despite the brilliant performances of Steve Smith, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc, Australia failed to defend their title against a team like South Africa, which had a long track record of choking in the ICC knockouts.

While South African pacers Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi played a crucial role, the match-winning knocks from Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma helped their team chase a target of 282 runs against the mighty Aussies.

As the third cycle (2023-25) of the WTC wraps up, it’s time to take a look at the top performances and records from the recently concluded final match.

Australia’s 1st Innings: Smith and Webster withstand Rabada and Jansen’s Bowling Attack

Electing to field first at the Lord’s stadium, South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen restricted Australia’s first innings to 212 in 56.4 overs, with Steve Smith and Beau Webster being the top run scorers.

South Africa’s 1st Innings: Pat Cummins’ Spell Leaves South Africa Batters Speechless

Despite an average batting performance, Australia didn’t give up. Especially, their captain, Pat Cummins, claimed 6 wickets in his 19-over spell and gave a tough fight to South Africa.

None of the South African batters managed to score a fifty, with David Bedingham and Temba Bavuma being the only 30+ run scorers. As a result, the entire batting line-up managed to score only 138 in 57.1 overs and was left trailing by 74 runs.

Australia’s 2nd Innings: Mitchell Starc’s Half Century

Surprisingly, Australia’s pace bowler Mitchell Starc showed his resilience as a lower-order batter in test cricket.

While Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi continued to grab wickets in quick intervals, Starc scored a crucial half-century that steered the Aussies to take a gigantic lead by 281 runs by posting a second innings total of 207 in 65 overs.

South Africa’s 2nd Innings: Bavuma and Markram’s Show All The Way!

Day 03 and Day 04 of the tournament, on June 13th and 14th, saw an outstanding batting performance from South African batters, namely Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram.

The Australian pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc tried their level best to bowl out their opposition before reaching the required target. But Markram’s century, complemented along with Bavuma’s fifty, changed the fortunes of the South African team in a crucial ICC final.

Notable Records from WTC 2025 Final: South Africa vs Australia

The following are the noteworthy records from the South Africa vs Australia WTC 2025 final listed below in detail:

1. Second Most Consecutive Wins for South Africa in Tests:

With this victory, South Africa extended their winning streak to 8 matches, which is their second most in the history of test cricket.

2. Joint Most Victories in First 10 Matches as a Test Captain

South African captain Temba Bavuma levelled the previous record of former English cricketer Percy Chapman, who secured 9 victories in his first 10 matches as a captain.

3. Joint Second Highest Successful Run Chase in Tests at Lord’s:

It is to be noted that South Africa recorded the second-highest successful run chase in test cricket at lord’s by accomplishing the 282-run target against Australia.

4. Fifth-Highest Individual Score by South African Batter in Tests (4th Innings)

Aiden Markram’s 136-run knock in the WTC 2025 final ranks as the fifth-highest individual score in 4th innings of a test match by any South African batter: