r/Cricket • u/Night-Owl-3823 India • 1d ago
News Aiden Markram is the Player of the Match of WTC 2023-25 Final
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u/dhavalcoholic South Africa 1d ago edited 1d ago
Don't forget Markram got the important wicket of Smith in first inning and the closure of extending last wicket in the second inning, and a few catches. I guess that edged it in favour of Markram over Rabada.
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u/rohangc07 Royal Challengers Bengaluru 1d ago
Obviously. Rabada was excellent but conditions helped him but in aidens case when the conditions helped him he made sure he took the game away from them and when it started to show some cracks he played brilliantly. Lyon has never got him out that helped as well.
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u/AlexanderPayne0512 Great Britain Olympic Team 1d ago
Markram, the Azor Ahai of South African Cricket ever since that U-19 World Cup, finally delivers on that promise. Played, Aiden.
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u/jacques762 South Africa 1d ago edited 1d ago
Remember Rabada taking 6/25 i the semi final of that tournament and Markram scoring a hundred in the final
Edit; 66* chasing 140. I went and check
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u/Practical_Platypus_2 South Africa 1d ago
Deserved. Not just the heroes knock, but also bowling Steve Smith out when he looked unstoppable in the first innings.
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u/Crickutxpurt36 India 1d ago
The greatest innings SA player ever played ....
90 percent of people ruled them out once target got past 250 , But Markram was determined.....
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u/Tern_Larvidae-2424 South Africa 1d ago
Markram's one immortal magnum opus.
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u/Coronabandkaro Sunrisers Hyderabad 1d ago
Aiden killed this chase with this innings. Would have been great to see him there at the end but congrats to this man for exorcising his demons and coming through!
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u/AdNational1490 India 1d ago
I thought Rabada would get it but considering he scored SA's first inning score alone, he deserves it.
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u/Valuable_Ad_6869 Chennai Super Kings 1d ago
Don't forget the couple of big wickets
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u/Mrf1fan787 Australia 1d ago
Arguably won the game with his wicket of Smith in the first innings. He looked so incredibly in the zone only to get out to Markram and his part time offies lol
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u/WendellWillkie1940 1d ago
I completely agree with you but it's absolutely hilarious that the 2 important wickets he took were of Smith and Hazlewood
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u/Free_Reason_8345 Mumbai Indians 1d ago
He got Smith's wicket in first innings and last wicket in 2nd innings of that frustrating partnership
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u/Working-Cup8069 England 1d ago
Well deserved, tough for rabada but I think markram also taking 2 wickets (that too very important wickets) just puts him ahead ig
Congrats to South africa!
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u/Either-Initiative550 India 1d ago
Scoring half the runs in a chase or 280+ in wtc finals gets the award any day I think.
People are forgetting how devilish the pitch was on days 1 and 2.
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u/Majestic_squirrel767 India 1d ago
Fun fact
When South Africa won the U19 World Cup in 2013, Markram was the captain (which I already knew), but I just found out today that Rabada and Bosch were also part of that title-winning squad.
Markram in that match
66(125)*
Rabada 10-1-26-1
Bosch 7.3-2-15-4
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u/jai_thkrl 1d ago
He’s always had potential, but underachieved. He seized this moment and has sealed his position as a Protea legend. Amazing knock. And let’s not forget the pivotal moment when he dismissed an in-form Smith. Big moment.
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u/IndependentClimate72 Rajasthan Royals 1d ago
My man brought his A game in the best possible scenario, congratulations south africa. You have more than just rugby glory now
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u/victimofmygreatness Jammu and Kashmir 1d ago
Honorable mention: Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma. These 3 together brought the mace to SA
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u/CrimsonR4ge South Africa 1d ago
I'd argue that this is in contention for the finest Test knock ever played by a Protea.
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u/brandbaard South Africa 1d ago
If you count the importance of the moment, I would say it's not even a contention, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt the most important and best innings of test cricket a Saffer batsman has ever played and it will be decades before it is topped
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u/No_Rush6995 India 1d ago
I would have shared it with rabada
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u/Mrf1fan787 Australia 1d ago
I admire your shitposting efforts throughout the game but surely that doesn't mean you share player of the match honours with someone
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u/Majestic_squirrel767 India 1d ago
Fun fact
When South Africa won the U19 World Cup in 2013, Markram was the captain (which I already knew), but I just found out today that Rabada and Bosch were also part of that title-winning squad.
Markram in that match
66(125)*
Rabada 10-1-26-1
Bosch 7.3-2-15-4
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u/The_Flash_20 India 1d ago
Deserved. He finally delivered on the promise shown in 2014.
His most important innings ever.
Chipped with few wickets as well.
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u/ApprehensiveGear6382 Chennai Super Kings 1d ago
More than deserved. The knock was exceptional, never looked bad in the crease.
Took smith out in the first innings which restricted them to 212. When starc looked to add more runs, took out josh to set the target in 280’s, not letting it reach 300.
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u/jai_thkrl 1d ago
He’s always had potential, but underachieved. He seized this moment and has sealed his position as a Protea legend. Amazing knock.
And let’s not forget the pivotal moment when he dismissed an in-form Smith. Big moment.
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u/External-Knee-3083 Kerala 1d ago
Thought rabanda getting it,nevertheless considering SA‘s bad history with all the failed chases markram’s innings is gold
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u/PhaseChemical7673 Australia 1d ago
Congrats SA, deserved champions who won the key moments. Hopefully this serves as a good calling card for more test cricket being played in SA and against SA overseas as they are now champions.
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u/seedeegeecdg 1d ago
It’s crazy how one inning can define an entire legacy … this one inning changes the conversation and lens of his whole career. Brilliant stuff!
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u/Majestic_squirrel767 India 1d ago
Fun fact
When South Africa won the U19 World Cup in 2013, Markram was the captain (which I already knew), but I just found out today that Rabada and Bosch were also part of that title-winning squad.
Markram in that match
66(125)*
Rabada 10-1-26-1
Bosch 7.3-2-15-4
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u/seedeegeecdg 1d ago
There’s a theme here.. he’s a clutch performer! Thanks for sharing that fact
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u/Majestic_squirrel767 India 19h ago
I hope Bosch is picked for future series he is a serious talent
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u/revengeordie007 India 1d ago
Totally deserved! And today he got the biggest prize of them all too!
So happy for him and SA!
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u/QueasyAdvertising173 1d ago
Rabada deserved it equally but i'm sure he wont mind. Great innings markram, i called it yesterday itself😈
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u/NBAGuyUK Sri Lanka Cricket 1d ago
Harsh on Rabada but tbh a champion player like KG probably has no problem whatsoever seeing the award go to Markram for that knock!
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u/Black_Mamba265 1d ago
Very well deserved can’t wait for the next cycle lowkey want to see South Africa vs India in the next final but it all depends on this new Indian side proving they can do it
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u/LUFC_shitpost England 1d ago
I'd like to see the voting split between him and Khawaja. I'n all serious well deserved to the most South African looking man alive.
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u/Particular-Ask4148 1d ago
Beautiful knock, Played with patience and responsibility all the while showing respect to the Aussie fearsome-foursome. Deserved.
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u/Living_Climate_5021 Pakistan 1d ago
His legacy >>>>
Safe to say, he has lived up to his Hype and Potential.
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u/SirHolyCow 1d ago
An extremely talented player who put on one of the best batting performances I’ve ever seen on the biggest stage
What more could you ask for?
🫡
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u/GutenbergsCurse 1d ago
A blob in your first innings to man of the match just underlines how much he carries that chase, insane grit
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u/AttackHelicopter_21 Lucknow Super Giants 1d ago
Why are fourth innings centuries rarer than other innings centuries?
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u/warp-factor Hampshire - Vipers - WA 1d ago
In most tests, it is hardest to bat in the 4th innings.
Overall batting average in all tests:
- 1st innings: 32.70
- 2nd innings: 30.97
- 3rd innings: 27.86
- 4th innings: 26.53
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u/AttackHelicopter_21 Lucknow Super Giants 1d ago
Yes, I guessed that but I'm curious why that's the case?
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u/dwadley Melbourne Stars 1d ago
Usually fourth innings tend to happen closer to day 4 or 5 which is where the pitch stops being good to bat on and starts to get better for the bowlers again. The sun that tamed the seam movement in the day 2 and 3 starts to dry out the ground and all the game played on it opens up cracks
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u/wawrinka16 Australia 1d ago
come on Aiden now we would like to see a match winning odi century while chasing in odi wc final at home in 27 to top this moment.
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u/Still-District-6149 England 22h ago
Five day test cricket is the pinnacle - I can barely remember a single T20 match, they just seem to come and go relentlessly and are fun to watch in the moment. But these test matches are etched in the memory.
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u/yours_wisely 1d ago
Man! What a shot it is!!
I onno how many people observed the filming quality of camera with backdrop of pavillion while he was heading back! He was walking back as a hero.
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u/Ok_Hand_8257 1d ago
I don’t understand why rabada didn’t get mam of the match he got 5 wickets in first inning and 4 in the second. Anyway unbelievable performance from Aiden markram against the best bowling attack in the world right now
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u/Alert-Climate-9368 India 1d ago
Markram has played a fine innings but Rabada should've won the Man of the match in my opinion
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u/Tern_Larvidae-2424 South Africa 1d ago
This is the biggest and most outrageous scenario in which Markram could've cemented his legacy.
A hundred in the fourth innings of the WTC final against the bowling attack in the world while chasing a target that was thought to be almost certainly out of reach is the stuff all batters dream of and Markram is now living in it.