History was rewritten at Lord’s as South Africa’s men’s cricket team clinched their maiden World Test Championship title, defeating defending champions Australia by five wickets. This monumental triumph also marked their first ICC trophy in 27 years, last achieved in the 1998 KnockOut Trophy. Kagiso Rabada emerged as the architect of the win, delivering a sensational performance with nine wickets across the two innings.

Speaking after the match, an emotional Kagiso Rabada shared his joy, saying, “Words can’t express how I feel. It’s an incredible moment. We’ve played consistently well throughout the WTC cycle, and this win is richly deserved.”

Rabada didn’t shy away from addressing critics who questioned South Africa’s position at the top of the WTC table, especially due to the fewer matches they played compared to other teams.

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“Some said we didn’t play strong enough opposition. That’s absolute nonsense. We just beat Australia — one of the strongest Test sides in the world,” he asserted. “Despite playing in London, the atmosphere around Lord’s felt far from neutral. The green and gold crowd presence was loud and proud. “It genuinely felt like a home game for us,” Rabada added, praising the passionate support from the stands.

Head coach Shukri Conrad reflected on how the changing conditions shaped the game. “We definitely got the better batting conditions. The first two days were tricky, but Day 3 eased up, and our senior pros capitalised,” he noted.

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The match-turning moment came with a 147-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, whose gritty 66 came despite a hamstring strain. “That stand won us the match. I initially thought Temba should retire hurt, but they proved why players often know better than coaches,” Conrad smiled.

For Australia, it was a painful yet rare ICC final defeat, adding to their 2010 T20 World Cup loss.