South Africa beat Australia to become the new World Test Champions at Lord’s by 5 wickets. With this, Bavuma and Co. ended their 27-year-long drought of winning an ICC trophy. They won the last time in 1998 by defeating the West Indies at Dhaka in the Champions Trophy final, where Jacques Kallis was awarded the player of the match as well as the player of the series. South Africa has not just ended their 27-year drought, but also Australia’s 15-year-long streak of winning every ICC finals they qualified for. The last time Australia was defeated at an ICC finals was against England in the 2010 T20 World Cup finals at Bridgetown by 7 wickets.
Australia’s ICC Finals’ Defeat Timeline
Australia, despite its dominance in ICC tournaments, has faced rare defeats in finals against a few notable teams. The West Indies triumphed in the 1975 World Cup final, Sri Lanka stunned them in the 1996 World Cup, England outclassed them in the 2010 T20 World Cup, and most recently, South Africa clinched their first-ever ICC title by defeating Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship final, powered by Aiden Markram’s century and Kagiso Rabada’s match-winning spells.
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | CWC (ODI) | West Indies | Australia | Won by 17 runs | Lord’s, England |
| 1996 | CWC (ODI) | Sri Lanka | Australia | Won by 7 wickets | Lahore, Pakistan |
| 2010 | T20 WC | England | Australia | Won by 7 wickets | Barbados |
| 2025 | WTC Final (Test) | South Africa | Australia | Won by 5 wickets | Lord’s, England |
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Markram And Rabada’s Heroics
After departing on a duck in 1st innings, Aiden Markram came out to bat in the second innings with an intent to finish off the World Test Championship leg 2023-25 himself. Markram’s 136-run innings was one to be remembered by as he became the first South African to score a century in any ICC finals. He was the glue that kept the innings together. Although captain Temba Bavuma gave a good hand with the bat as well by scoring 66 runs in the 2nd innings, it was Markram’s heroics that took the team towards victory. Another crucial contribution with the ball was by Proteas’ Kagiso Rabada. He managed to take a 5-wicket haul in the 1st innings, dismantling Australia’s tall batting lineup on 212 runs and 4 wickets in the 2nd innings.
SOUTH AFRICA ARE THE ICC TEST CHAMPIONS! 🇿🇦✨ pic.twitter.com/V8eVJFeCql
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 14, 2025
