South Africa wins the World Test Championship, its first major cricket title in 27 years
London, Jun 14 (AP): South Africa won the World Test Championship against titleholder Australia by five wickets after knocking off the last 69 runs required on the fourth morning of the final on Saturday.
The Proteas achieved their first major cricket title in 27 years, sparking celebrations at Lord's.
They moved from a portentous 213-2 overnight to 282-5, the second-highest successful run chase in the 141-year test history at the home of cricket.
Australia didn't give up the WTC mace easily, relentlessly attacking the stumps and pressuring a South Africa side with an infamous history of blowing winning positions on big ICC stages.
But South Africa was staunch and composed — only three boundaries in more than two hours — and lost only three wickets on Saturday in an air of inevitability.
“We've come a long way as a team, as a country,” an emotional Keshav Maharaj said. "We always say we want to be good people and play good. We're moving in the right direction as a cricketing nation.
“After 25 years of pain, to finally get over the line is super emotional. We're so grateful to have Temba (Bavuma, captain) to get us over the line. Diversity is our strength, so to see the crowd, they stand for the meaning of our rainbow nation. To lift the trophy is going to unite the nation even more.”
The desperate Australians used up all of their three reviews in vain within the first 90 minutes but fought to the end. They took the new ball but were still blunted by a flat pitch.
Markram was the colossus Australia could not topple until it was too late.
The opener resumed the day on 102 and was out for 136 when only six more runs were needed. He spent six hours, 23 minutes in the middle.
About 15 minutes later, Kyle Verreynne broke the tension by hitting the winning run, a drive into the covers.
Markram and captain Temba Bavuma set up the victory with an unbeaten and chanceless partnership of 143 runs the day before. They could not finish what they started, adding only four runs together before Bavuma edged Pat Cummins behind for 66, one more than he had overnight.
Tristan Stubbs was castled on 8 by Mitchell Starc with 41 runs needed and South Africa was too close to the finish to be denied.
But Markram couldn't have the pleasure himself. With six runs needed to win, he was caught at midwicket by Travis Head off Josh Hazlewood.
Australia didn't celebrate. Instead, players slapped Markram on the back and congratulated him on his match-winning knock as the Lord's crowd stood and applauded.
They stood again when the end finally came, a rout of red-hot Australia with five sessions to spare.
South Africa's only previous global trophy was the Champions Trophy's precursor in 1998. Before then and since, its history on the ICC's biggest stages has been infamously cruel.
The venues and dates of their most heartbreaking losses include Birmingham 1999, Dhaka 2011, Auckland 2015, Kolkata 2023 and Bridgetown 2024.
But London 2025 will go down as one of the greatest days in South Africa sports, when its cricket underdogs grabbed the advantage and didn't let go against one of the great Australia test sides.
South Africa was criticized before the final for its supposedly easier road — it didn't face Australia or England in a series in the 2023-25 WTC cycle — but it has won eight straight tests, its second longest streak in history, and half of them away from home.
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Alliance partners welcome DMDK into DMK fold, BJP slams Premalatha Vijayakanth's move
Chennai (PTI): Parties in the DMK-led SPA on Thursday welcomed DMDK joining the alliance, while the BJP slammed the move, stating that the "soul of Vijayakanth will not forgive" the party for forging ties with the DMK.
Earlier in the day, the late actor Vijayakanth, founded DMDK, joined the Secular Progressive Alliance here for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls.
Tamil Nadu Congress said DMDK forming an alliance with the DMK is a "significant development" in the state politics.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai said, "In view of the forthcoming assembly election, DMDK joining the DMK is a significant development in Tamil Nadu politics."
"I welcome the decision taken by (DMDK General Secretary) Premalatha Vijayakanth and DMDK executives for taking a great decision. I congratulate. This alliance was formed with the aim of prioritizing social justice, secularism, democratic values that will have the power to fulfill the people's expectations," he wrote in a social media post.
"Formed for the welfare, progress and prosperous future of the state, this alliance will surely achieve victory," he said.
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko, another ally of the SPA, hailed the development as 'sweet news'.
"We happily welcome them. The SPA gets strengthened by this alliance. Victory for the DMK-led alliance has been confirmed with this", he told reporters in Madurai.
However, the Tamil Nadu BJP unit reacted sharply and criticised the move as a 'betrayal' of the DMDK founder's legacy.
The movement created by the Captain joining the anti-people DMK, will "never be forgiven by the Captain's Soul", it said on its social media handle. The DMDK founder is fondly addressed as 'Captain.'
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said, "As far as I am concerned, they (DMDK) have boarded a sinking ship. Invoking the legacy of Captain, they have forced their cadres to act as captains of a vessel that is already going down."
Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) chief G K Vasan, who is part of NDA in Tamil Nadu, said the alliance between the DMDK and the DMK was against the expectations of the people.
"As long as Captain was alive, he never formed an alliance with the DMK. People will not accept this alliance," he told reporters in Tiruchirappalli.
Actor-Politician Vijay led-Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) said not even one per cent of the people will accept this DMDK-DMK alliance.
"Captain Vijayakanth faced a lot of insults from the DMK and toiled hard to develop his party. When all these alliance partners converge on a stage, not even 1 per cent of the people will believe in them. They will not accept this alliance at any cost," TVK joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar told reporters in Chennai.
Meanwhile, Premalatha, after announcing her alliance with the DMK, offered prayers at the memorial of Captain in Chennai and later took part in Annadanam (free meal) organised at the DMDK headquarters.
"After the announcement of our alliance, on this special day, I performed a special pooja at the Captain's Temple and offered Annadanam. It is not just a political decision but my commitment to safeguard the people's belief," she said.
"With the blessings of Captain and people's support, we will definitely win", she wrote and shared some images on her social media handle.
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