Aiden Markram has brought up a sensational century to put South Africa in the driver's seat against Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's cricket ground.

The South African opener completed his 8th Test ton in 156 balls.

Aiden Markram's Heroics Puts South Africa On Top

Markram stood still despite losing two partners in the run chase. He and captain Temba Bavuma showed sheer determination and grit throughout the second innings and navigated the Aussie bowlers on a tricky Lord's pitch.

Markram hasn't taken any risks and has punished all the loose balls. The 30-year-old has been one of the consistent performers for the Protas across the three formats and has been in and around the setup for a while. He became the third centurion in the WTC final after Travis Head and Steve Smith.

Markram has been particularly classy on the offside and has brought up some glorious shots in his brilliant innings.

Earlier, a Mitchell Starc fightback helped Australia to put up a 282-run target. He forged a 59-run partnership with Josh Hazlewood to deliver a massive blow to South Africa's hopes.

It was Markram who brought up an end to the partnership.

Gritty Temba Bavuma showed Sheer Resilience

Despite Markram's century, it was Temba Bavuma who won the hearts with his gritty half-century. The Proteas captain appeared to have pulled his hamstring while running and needed medical assistance on the ground. Despite that, he refused to give up and smashed some beautiful shots all over the place. His 143-run stand with Markram has been the bedrock of South Africa's success in the 4th innings of the WTC 2025 final.

With the pitch offering almost nothing for the fast bowlers, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood need to come up with a new plan in order to trouble the Proteas batters.