What seemed like an easy win for Australia at Lord’s turned into a big surprise on day 3 of the 2025 Test Championship final. Australia gave South Africa a target of 282 runs and quickly got rid of some of their top batters. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood’s 59-run last-wicket stand made the lead grow to 281. Starc, who stayed not out on 58, scored his first Test fifty in six years.

However, the game shifted after lunch. Even though South Africa lost 2 quick wickets and Temba Bavuma was limping from a sore leg, they kept going. Bavuma didn’t leave the field, and Aiden Markram looked calm from the beginning. They showed what Starc and Hazlewood had shown earlier: that batting was a bit easier under the warm afternoon sun.

Markram, who scored a last-innings hundred against Australia in a previous Test, stayed calm and in charge. He ended the day not out. For 65 runs, Bavuma batted strongly despite injury, and in the same moment, Steve Smith injured his finger attempting the catch. 

South Africa now needs only 69 more runs and still has 8 batters left. No one expected this, but they’re now ahead. Australia, who looked in full control, is now behind and trying to catch up.

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