WTC final: Aiden Markram joins Bradman, Clarke in elite list
What's the story
South African cricketer Aiden Markram has made history by becoming the first player from his country to score a century in an ICC tournament final.
The landmark innings came during the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) at Lord's against Australia.
Chasing a target of 282 runs in a match that had been difficult for batters, Markram put on an unbeaten century partnership with skipper Temba Bavuma, ending the day with 102 not out off 159 balls, including 11 fours.
Historic achievement
Markram joins legends with these two unique records
Markram has joined an elite group of cricketers like Gordon Greenidge (WI), Roy Fredericks (WI), Michael Clarke (Australia), Ajit Agarkar (India), and Don Bradman (Australia) in terms of being the only visiting players with tons in fourth innings of a Test match at Lord's, as per ESPNcricinfo.
This was also Markram's third fourth-innings ton in Tests as an opener.
Only India's Sunil Gavaskar (4) and SA's Graeme Smith (4) have more centuries as designated openers in run chases (Tests).
All-rounder
Markram joins elite company with his bowling
Along with his batting heroics, Markram has also made a mark with his bowling in the final.
He picked up two wickets and joined Bruce Mitchell (The Oval, 1935), Graeme Pollock (Trent Bridge, 1965), and Jacques Kallis (Old Trafford in 1998 and The Oval in 2012) in the list of SA players to have taken a wicket and scored a century in the same Test match in England, as per Cricbuzz.
Record
Markram joins Smith and Head in elite company
Meanwhile, Markram also became just the third player to slam a century in the final of the WTC.
In the final of the 2021-23 edition, Australia's Steve Smith and Travis Head hit scores worth 121 and 163 respectively versus India at The Oval.
Smith and Head's tons helped Australia score 469 runs in the 1st innings as they went on to beat India thereafter.
Information
Do you know?
As per Cricbuzz, Markram became the ninth batter to register a duck and a hundred in the same Test at Lord's and the third since 1980 after Michael Vaughan against India in 2002 and Misbah-ul-Haq against England in 2016.
Match update
SA in driver's seat after day 3
Thanks to Markram and Bavuma's efforts, South Africa are in a strong position in the match.
The duo has added an unbeaten 143-run stand with the former being unscathed on 102.
SA need 69 more runs to win the final on Day 4. Notably, SA's target would have been much lesser had Mitchell Starc not played a gem of a knock.
His classy 58* from 136 balls meant Australia finished their second innings at 207/10 after being reduced to 73/7.