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- AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final 2025, Day 3: Ton-up Aiden Markram shines, South Africa 213/2 at stumps, need 69 more to clinch title
AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final 2025, Day 3: Ton-up Aiden Markram shines, South Africa 213/2 at stumps, need 69 more to clinch title
The day began with South Africa at 43/4, and although Temba Bavuma (36) and David Bedingham (45) stitched together a brief resistance worth 64 runs, it was Australia captain Pat Cummins who stole the show. Cummins produced a remarkable spell of four wickets for one run post-lunch, dismantling South Africa for 138. He finished with 6-28 and claimed his 300th Test wicket, etching his name on the Lord’s honours board.
But Australia’s second innings soon descended into chaos. Kagiso Rabada removed Khawaja and Green in the same over, while Lungi Ngidi bowled a fiery spell that accounted for Cummins and Webster, leaving Australia tottering at 73/7.
Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc then mounted a critical eighth-wicket stand of 61. Carey’s composed 43 was vital, but he fell to Rabada just before stumps. Starc remained unbeaten on 16 and was lucky to survive when Marco Jansen dropped a sitter in the day’s final over.
Australia’s lead may already be decisive, but South Africa will believe that quick wickets on Day 3 could still keep them alive. The pitch has offered bounce and seam, but not excessively so—raising questions about batting techniques from both sides.
Earlier, Cummins’ fiery burst tore through South Africa’s lower order, claiming the final five wickets for just 12 runs. His dismissal of Bavuma, Verreynne, Jansen, and Rabada in quick succession underlined his mastery in favourable conditions. South Africa’s innings crumbled from 126/5 to 138 all out.
Australia’s approach to building on their slender first-innings lead of 74 was aggressive but flawed. Beau Webster, their first-innings top scorer, fell lbw to Ngidi, while Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith also perished without converting starts.
Despite the carnage, Australia’s 218-run advantage heading into Day 3 could prove pivotal. Yet, with just two wickets in hand, the margin for error remains slim. One more day of gripping cricket awaits before the baton passes to South Africa’s batters for the final act.
SA are going strong in the 282-run chase and currently need 136 more runs to clinch the title.
Markram is anchoring the SA chase with a solid 71* from 97 balls.
Oh, Starc just aborts to bowl. He stops right when he is about to deliver the ball.
- Temba Bavuma 39 (68)
- Aiden Markram 71 (97)
Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Length ball, on off, Temba Bavuma opens the bat face and guides this between short third and backward point for a single.
Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, The scoreboard just keeps ticking for the Proteas! Shortish delivery at the pads, Aiden Markram glances this through backward square leg for a single.
Now understood that he has suffered a compound dislocation to his right little finger and has been taken to hospital for further treatment
Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Stylishly played! Too full from Starc, on middle and leg, from around the stumps. Aiden Markram with a straight bat face and a still head, plays the on drive, past mid on for a boundary.
Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Length ball, outside off, Aiden Markram plays the cut shot, but it goes along the ground to the gully fielder.
Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Very full on off, Aiden Markram looks to drive it on the up and almost spoons up a catch to mid off, as the ball goes on the bounce to mid off.
Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Nothing going Australia's way! Mitchell Starc bowls this one from wide of the crease, and lands it on a full length, just outside off, Aiden Markram goes for a booming drive and ends up outside edging it. The ball goes wide of the gully fielder, Travis Head, who puts on a despairing dive to his left and doesn't get any hand on it, as the ball runs away to the deep third fence.
Mitchell Starc is back on for one more burst. 7-0-37-2 so far.
- Aiden Markram 62 (92)
- Temba Bavuma 38 (67)
Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, Skids through the deck quickly, on the fourth stump. Aiden Markram pins the ball through backward point and scoots through for a single.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Another short delivery, on the bodyline. Temba Bavuma swivels and pulls it to square leg. A sharp stop there by the fielder, who moves to his left from backward square leg. A single taken.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, A short ball, that slows off the deck and arrives late, around off. Temba Bavuma drops it beside the pitch on the off side.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Back of a length, just outside off, Temba Bavuma blocks it off the back foot.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, FOUR! Lovely stroke from the South African Captain! Poor delivery, overpitched on off, Temba Bavuma times it sweetly as he plays the straight drive, down the ground for four. It was more of a check drive, really!
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Length ball, outside off, in the channel, Temba Bavuma shoulders his arms to that one. Oh, Pat Cummins has overstepped. NO BALL!
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Length ball tailing back a little, Temba Bavuma looks to defend it off the front foot, as the ball hits the inner half of his bat and goes into the leg side towards short mid-wicket.
- Aiden Markram 61 (91)
- Temba Bavuma 33 (61)
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Pushed slower through the air, but outside the leg stump. Aiden Markram tries to nurdle this full ball to the leg side, but misses to lay any bat. The ball grazes his front pad and rolls behind through the short fine leg region. The fielder from square leg chases the ball with a slide. The batters, though, hare back for the second and the throw is towards the bowler's end, where Bavuma just about gets home.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Flighted up, full on the leg stump, Aiden leans forward and defends it to the leg side.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Drops a full ball, on the stumps, around leg. Aiden Markram hangs back and steers it to short mid-wicket.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, A touch quick, short length off break on middle, Aiden Markram pushes it back to the bowler.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, A touch fuller, on off, Aiden Markram stills plays it off the back foot as he makes some room and punches it in the gap through the extra cover region. Pat Cummins tracks it down from cover and gets to the ball near the boundary with a slide. There is a third on offer but Bavuma puts his hand up, signalling to Markram that he won't be able to make it.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Shorter length off break, on off stump line, Aiden Markram punches it off the back foot, back to the bowler.
- Temba Bavuma 33 (61)
- Aiden Markram 59 (85)
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Outside off, hard length, guided off the back foot to backward point.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Straight and full, on off, Temba Bavuma weighs forward, gently punches this straight down the ground and scampers through back for the second run by the time mid off chases the ball.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, At 137 kph, Cummins bowls this full and on the pads. Temba Bavuma misses his flick shot and the ball rams into his front pad before rolling into the leg side.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Full on off, Temba Bavuma plays the off drive to mid off.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Again length from Pat Cummins, this time the line is on off, Temba Bavuma comfortably blocks it under his eyes.
The body language of the Aussies has gone down again. Almost how it was in the morning session of Day 2. They are trying hard but with the pitch and ball doing nothing, they are being forced to do that extra hard work, something which they didn't need to do in the last 2 days. Another thing which might be irritating them is the singles being taken by these batters. Without scoring much boundaries, they are going at around 4 an over pretty comfortably. To make matters worse for them, one of them is almost running on one foot. yet taking the runs pretty easily. Pretty soon, the coaches in that Australian dressing room will send down a word to Cummins to bring the field up and stop these singles, before it gets too late.
Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Length ball shaping away, outside off, Temba Bavuma leaves it alone.
- Temba Bavuma 31 (55)
- Aiden Markram 59 (85)
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Flighted up, fuller and on the stumps. Temba Bavuma with a huge lunge forward, goes for the defensive block, but the ball takes a bit of an outside edge and rolls to the short third region. A single taken. South Africa need 158 more runs to win.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Pulls the length back and slides this across off, Temba Bavuma goes deep in the crease and taps it out.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Drops it fuller, does Lyon, on off, from around the stumps. Aiden Markram drills this down to long on. Milks a single.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Short and on off, Aiden Markram rocks back and punches it through the extra cover region and takes couple of runs.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Full and on middle, Aiden Markram looks to defend it off the front foot, the ball drifts away a touch as it takes the outside half of the bat and rolls along the ground to short cover.
Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, This isn't that short, on off, Aiden Markram still rocks on the back foot and pushes it to back to the bowler.
Fresh news coming in from the Aussie camp. Steve Smith has suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger. He was assessed by the Australian team medical staff at the ground and taken to the hospital for x-rays and further treatment. That effectively rules him out of this Test and possibly out of the Test series in the Caribbean coming up. Matthew Hayden on air feels that Smith will need a surgery for sure and might need around 8 weeks for rehabilitaton. So it will be the home season directly now, for Smudge, ahead of the Ashes. In a way, big chance for Josh Inglis to cement that spot and try to become the next Smith.
- Temba Bavuma 30 (53)
- Aiden Markram 56 (81)
Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Attacks the stumps, keeping the length full, Bavuma keeps it out to the off side.
Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Slanting toward the leg stump line, on a length. Temba Bavuma tucks this across to short mid-wicket.
Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Fires it fuller on off, Temba Bavuma taps it out to the point region.
Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Length ball on middle, Temba Bavuma flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.
Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Full on off, Temba Bavuma presents the full face of the bat and defends it off the front foot to short cover.
Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and drifting on the pads, Aiden Markram flick and misses. The ball hits his front pad and goes into the leg side. Oh it's not given a leg bye. Possibly Aiden got some bat on it. Single taken. And that will bring up the 50-RUN PARTNERSHIP between these two.
- Temba Bavuma 30 (48)
- Aiden Markram 55 (80)
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Nicely flighted up, full and just outside off. Temba Bavuma defends it out watchfully.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Full in length and on the off stump. Temba Bavuma works this to the point region.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, EDGED, FOUR! Floated fuller and angled across off, Temba Bavuma gets on the front foot to guide the ball to the off side, but gets a thick outside edge and the ball beats the biggest wingspans on the field - Beau Webster - at first slip and runs away to the boundary. Bavuma played that with soft hands, so the edge did not carry to the fielder.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Tossed up, fuller on off, Temba Bavuma defends it to short cover.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Again a shorter length, off break, on off, Temba Bavuma covers for the line of the ball and pushes it to short mid-wicket.
Nathan Lyon is given the ball again. 7-2-18-0 so far.
Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Short on off, Temba Bavuma punches it off the back foot and manages to hit it wide of short mid-wicket. The deep mid-wicket fielder runs to his left and cuts it off. Two runs taken.
South Africa were bowled out for 138 in their first innings, undone by a devastating spell from Pat Cummins, who claimed 6-28 to reach 300 Test wickets and earn a place on the Lord’s honours board. Only Temba Bavuma (36) and David Bedingham (45) offered resistance.
Australia’s second innings mirrored the chaos, as Kagiso Rabada (3-44) and Lungi Ngidi (3-35) tore through the top and middle order to reduce them to 73/7. However, Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16*) mounted a fightback, adding 61 valuable runs for the eighth wicket.
Carey fell late to Rabada, but Starc survived a drop in the final over to keep Australia’s hopes alive.
With South Africa needing early wickets on Day 3 and Australia looking to stretch their lead beyond 250, the match remains delicately poised—even as the finale inches closer than expected.
Match Statistics
Venue
Lord's Cricket Ground, London
