London, June 14 (IANS) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen lauded Aiden Markram’s masterly 136, playing a big part in South Africa winning the 2025 ICC World Test Championship, saying that it was the finest innings ever played by a South African batter in Test cricket.

After bagging a duck in the first innings, Markram stood up to hit a magnificent 136, laced with 14 boundaries, and play a crucial hand in South Africa chasing down 282 before lunch on day four’s play, as the Proteas secured a major ICC championship win after 27 years of heartbreak in the knockout stages of various tournaments.

“Probably the best innings any South African batter has ever played in Test match cricket. It might not go down as the most attacking or entertaining if you look back at South Africa’s Test history — but when you factor in the expectation, the stage, and the pressure after failing in the first innings, it was extraordinary.”

“Whether you’re a batter or a bowler, when your country is counting on you and you have to deliver — that pressure is immense. He lost Rickelton early, yet still went on to produce something truly magnificent. It’s hard to even describe the kind of pressure he was under,” said JioStar expert Pietersen on the Cricket Live show.

Similar views were echoed by former India all-rounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar. “All the hard work pays off when you start to settle in like Markram did once he found his rhythm and began playing those fluent strokes. And then, everything starts to shift in your favour.”

“Regardless of the opponent’s reputation, belief in yourself and the team makes the real difference. This South African unit truly believed in their collective strength, not just as individuals. Markram was the face of that belief. But what drives such performances is the camaraderie in the dressing room.”

“When Markram asked Bavuma to stay with him at the crease no matter what, and Bavuma did just that — it shows the strength of their bond. In the end, these moments bring out a superhero — and today, that superhero was Markram, and deservedly so,” he said.

Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who returned with a match haul of nine wickets, hailed Markram’s composure and dominance under pressure. “Aiden is a big-match player. The way he held his ground with such resolve — it was remarkable to watch. His presence, the way he dominated his space, and stuck to his game plan without wavering was just brilliant.”

“You still had to bat really well on that pitch — it wasn’t one where you could afford to be loose. They were setting off-side traps, leg-side traps, but he navigated all of it throughout his innings.”

–IANS

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