‘Dreaded’ sledge revealed as Australia burned in World Test Championship final
A South African player has revealed he heard a brutal sledge from an Australian player after ending years of disappointment.
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South African captain Temba Bavuma has revealed one of Australia’s players tried getting in his head with the dreaded “chokers” tag on day four of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
The Proteas defeated reigning champions Australia by five wickets at the home of cricket courtesy of a career-defining century from opener Aiden Markram, ending a 27-year trophy drought for the rainbow nation.
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The South Africans have become renowned as perennial chokers in ICC events, losing nine semi-finals in nine attempts across World Cups and Champions Trophy tournaments since 1999.
Speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference on Sunday, Bavuma confirmed one of Australia’s players reminded him of South Africa’s record in ICC knockouts, prefacing there “wasn’t a lot of chatter” out on the field.
“The tag of us being chokers, that came about this morning,” Bavuma recalled.
“One of their players threw out the fact we could still get bowled out ... I definitely heard that.”
In another interview, Bavuma added: “Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, ‘choke’.
“It’s been years since we’ve overcome a final, we’ve been etched in history, we’re part of something that has never been done. It’s special in a lot of ways.”
Asked about the chokers sledge, Markram responded: “It will be great to not have to hear it again, that’s for sure.”
The Proteas had plenty of demons to conquer on Day 3 with the memory of choking yet again still fresh from last year’s loss to India in the T20 World Cup.
South Africa’s women’s side also fell short in the final of both the 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cups to add to the heartbreak.
“It’s not just that they’ve never won one,” Mel Jones said during the first session on Prime Video.
“They’ve been in so many commanding positions, year after year, in such a wide range of events, from the Champions Trophy to the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup.
“Apologies to the South Africans listening, I don’t want to take you down a horrendous trail, but I think this is why so many have come today, it’s history in the making.
“I reckon there’s even some Aussies there going ‘we wouldn’t mind’.”
We’re not so sure about that one, Mel, Aussie cricket fans are greedy and pretty accustomed to success.
But this South African team under coach Shukri Conrad and diminutive, combative skipper Bavuma, finally has its crowning moment.
Pat Cummins’ team came into the match as heavy favourites, but serious question marks will now be asked about his ageing side as the Proteas eagerly snatched the WTC Mace from the defending champions.
Resuming on 2/213 in their second innings on Saturday, needing just 69 runs to win, South Africa lost skipper Temba Bavuma (66) early in the day but still had few troubles chasing down the 282-run total in a momentous win for the perennial bridesmaids.
Opener Aiden Markram’s (136) match-winning knock ended with just six runs required, but South Africa still marched to the biggest title in their long cricketing history.
Australia’s Steve Smith, sidelined by a gruesome finger injury for the final day, is still in imperious form at the age of 36.
But the heavy defeat means fellow veterans Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will now be under even more scrutiny, with the likes of Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis waiting in the wings.
Cummins said his side had been faced with a “bridge too far” after failing to capitalise on its first innings lead.
“Things can change pretty quickly,” said Cummins at the post-match presentation ceremony. “Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far.”
Smith’s first-innings 66 was the only score of fifty or more in the match by a specialist Australia batsman.
Smith, however, suffered a dislocated finger while dropping a slip catch and is now doubtful for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados on June 25.
Australia, now at the start of a new WTC cycle, may have to review their batting options more broadly, with Marnus Labuschagne who averaged a lowly 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season, out for 17 and 22 at Lord’s after being promoted to open the innings.
“We’ve got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we’ll sit down and have a bit of a think,” said Cummins.
“To make these finals, it’s normally off the back of being really strong at home, but you’ve got to win some away series too,” he later told reporters at a post-match press conference.
“So, in some ways, it’s good we get to dust ourselves off and turn around in a couple of weeks and start looking ahead to the next one.
“That’s one of the good things about the World Test Championship, every Test series and every Test match feels like you’re playing for something significant.”
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Originally published as ‘Dreaded’ sledge revealed as Australia burned in World Test Championship final
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