• South Africa defeats Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship final.
• Aiden Markram scores a critical 136 runs, leading his team to victory.
• This marks South Africa's first major international cricket title, ending decades of near misses.

South Africa completed a remarkable turnaround to win the World Test Championship final against Australia, successfully chasing down a daunting target of 282 runs at Lord’s on Saturday. The Proteas took 27.4 overs to score the necessary 69 runs, finishing with a total of 282-5, which is the joint second-highest winning fourth-innings total in Test history at the venue, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

Aiden Markram was the star of the match, delivering a magnificent innings of 136 runs, contributing significantly to the chase. This performance was pivotal for South Africa, who had seen numerous failures in clutch moments in previous international tournaments, earning them the label of "chokers" over the years. Markram's contributions came after he had suffered a duck in the first innings, showcasing resilience, as reported by Dawn, BBC, and BBC.

The final day began with South Africa needing 69 runs and facing a tense atmosphere as they resumed batting at 213-2. Australia’s captain Pat Cummins did bring about a brief wave of hope for his side by dismissing captain Temba Bavuma early, but Markram and his teammate David Bedingham steadied the ship, with Markram's aggressive plays reducing the target to single digits. Ultimately, Kyle Verreynne sealed the match with a single off Josh Hazlewood, ensuring a historic victory for the Proteas, according to Channel News Asia, BBC, and Reuters.

South Africa's victory is described by captain Temba Bavuma as "special," indicating not only a new chapter in sports history for South African cricket but also a moment of unity for the country. The match marks their first major global title, providing a much-anticipated celebration compared to their storied past of disappointments in international tournaments, highlighted by incidents from venues like Birmingham in 1999 and Dhaka in 2011. This win should bolster South Africa's confidence ahead of future competitions, including the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027, as noted by Dawn and BBC.