Ponting dissects Markram’s match-defining Lord’s innings

No stranger to delivering in high-pressure situations, Ricky Ponting made a habit of scoring match-winning knocks in the games that mattered the most. None more iconic than his 140 against India in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final in 2003 and 111* against England in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2009.

Speaking in the aftermath of the epic World Test Championship Final at Lord's, Ponting had high praise for Markram’s cracking ton that helped South Africa lift the mace, placing the knock among the best centuries that he could recall on the big stage.

“When you look back through big ICC events, I think the first thing that probably comes to mind is World Cup finals,” Ponting told ICC Digital.

“And then probably Travis Head's innings (137) in the World Cup final, and then the last World Test Championship final (163). And this one's got to be absolutely as good as any of those, considering the stage, considering where South African cricket's been over the last couple of years, particularly their Test side.”

South Africa failed to make the WTC Final in the first two editions of the tournament but found a new direction under the pairing of head coach Shukri Conrad and skipper Temba Bavuma in January 2023. The Lord’s win was their eighth-successive victory in Tests, one short of their personal best.

One of the changes in the South Africa setup under the new leadership was the return of Aiden Markram, who had been dropped from the tour of Australia in the 2022/23 season after an extended poor run with the bat.

Markram repaid the faith reposed in him with a spectacular 115 on his return in February 2023, and has looked a more determined batter in the red-ball format since, as exemplified by his fighting ton against India on a tricky surface in Cape Town in January 2024 and his Lord’s masterclass.

“To be able to stand up and perform like that when your team needs you the most is what reputations are made of. I think everyone's always known how good a player Aiden Markram was,” Ponting added.

“And I must admit, a couple of years ago when South Africa toured Australia, I couldn't believe that Aiden Markram wasn't in that touring squad at all. He didn't even make the squad.

“And here we are a couple of years later and he's played one of probably his greatest knocks. I'm sure if you asked him, he'd probably say that that's the knock that he's most proud of in his Test career, and I am pretty sure his teammates who watched it all unfold would probably say the same thing.

“So, it's a great individual achievement for him, and it's a magnificent achievement for the South African team.”