AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final 2025, Day 3: Ton-up Aiden Markram shines, South Africa 213/2 at stumps, need 69 more to clinch title

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Aims the sticks, does Starc, full in length. Aiden Markram flicks this through mid-wicket for a single. TEA ON DAY 3, SOUTH AFRICA 94/2, NEED ANOTHER 188.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Good length, around middle and leg. Temba Bavuma tucks this with soft hands and gets a single at deep square leg.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Short of a good length, outside off. Aiden Markram cuts it behind square to deep backward point for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Fuller and angling to the off stump. Temba Bavuma prods forward and drives this through cover for a single. Hobbles to the other end, more than running comfortably.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Fuller delivery, outside off, Temba Bavuma drives this off the inner half of the bat to cover. That seems to have kept marginally low.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Starc keeps charging from around the wickets and angles this on the stumps, into the batter. Temba Bavuma plays a firm frontfoot block.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Length, sliding outside off, punched to short cover by Markram.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Now this one keeps a bit low, in front of middle, full in length. Aiden Markram, rather than playing this full ball on the front foot, goes back and across, and defends it off the toe end of the bat.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Touch full with some extra bounce, on the stumps. Defended out.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Slides this across off on a length. Markram knocks this across and Marnus Labuschagne makes a good diving stop to his left.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, On middle and drifting towards off, on a length. Aiden Markram rocks back and punches this straight back to the bowler.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Nice and full, around off. Aiden Markram blocks this off the front foot to point.

Lyon given a rest. With around 10 minutes to go for Tea, Josh Hazlewood has been given the ball. 5-0-16-0 so far. Meanwhile, there is a slight delay to the proceedings. Temba Bavuma is on the ground, having called for the physio who seems to be attending to his calf or hamstring. The body language of Bavuma seems to be of a man who is concerned and in pain. He is trying to get up and do some stretching but is struggling to do so. Meanwhile, Sam Konstas gets himself a massage outside the boundary ropes. It is all happening out there. Hopefully no one dozes off in this extended break. We are now shown replays of 21.3, when Bavuma was taking the quick single. It was at the completion of that run that Bavuma seemed to have pulled something. Okay. the physio is off the ground and Bavuma is up and ready. And now, thanks to that break, the ball has been taken away from Hazlewood. Lyon continues.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Nagging length, slanting on the middle and leg stumps. Temba Bavuma brings the bat straight down and pushes it to short mid-wicket. South Africa need another 192 runs, and Australia need 8 wickets to win the finale.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, This is pitched wide of off, fuller in length. Aiden Markram expands his arms, gets low and slashes this to deep backward point. One run taken.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Cannoned at the stumps, full in length, blocked off watchfully by Markram.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Good running! Back of a length, angled at the top of middle. Temba Bavuma hops on the back foot and tucks this wide of square leg. Travis Head charges towards the ball to his left, but Bavuma is quick to complete the single.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Good length, outside off, Aiden Markram cuts this past backward point for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Slants it into the batter, does Starc, full and on middle. Aiden Markram flicks this off the inner half of the bat, but through mid-wicket and mid on. The two fielders from the inner ring are after it and the ball is chased by one of them yards before the ropes. Two taken by the batters in the meantime.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Not too full, not too short, turning in around off, tucked across to short mid-wicket.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Flighted on a length, drifting on the leg stump. Aiden Markram steers this to the square leg region for a quick single.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Turns in off the deck, on a length, around off. Markram punches this back to the bowler.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Floated fuller and just outside off, Temba Bavuma leans to drive through covers, but gets a thick outside edge and the ball rolls behind to the deep third region. Three taken.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Oh, this one stays low on a good length, on middle. Well negotiated by Bavuma as he tucks this across to short mid-wicket.

Change of bats for Temba Bavuma.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, A slip in place and a short mid on, just beside the strip as well. Length ball on the stumps. Aiden Markram turns this to deep square leg for an easy single.

How costly will that dropped catch prove? South Africa themselves dropped two catches and are chasing nearly 100 more than what they would have got initially. It is a good attitude shown by Bavuma, almost like a T20 game, where you don't let the bowlers settle despite losing a wicket. Yes, he played a couple of rash shots but those shots have actually put the bowlers off their lengths and got Cummins thinking.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Back of a length, outside off, from around the wicket, Bavuma pushes it towards cover. Eventful over.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, On a good length, outside off, Temba Bavuma waits for the ball to arrive and dabs it behind point. Plenty of time to return for the second.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, On a length, around off, Aiden Markram watches it closely and pushes the ball behind point for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Full and on off, Temba Bavuma drives it off the front foot, it is more of a check drive. The ball goes along the ground to deep extra cover. Single taken.

Problems for Steve Smith. He has immediately called for the physio. He is in immense pain and by the looks of it, could have dislocated his finger. And he is WALKING OFF. Talking about SA-Aus contests, one of the best fielders dropped the catch of the opposition captain in the 1999 World Cup and the response was, 'You have dropped the World Cup, mate.' Will Bavuma now say the same to Smith? Sam Konstas comes in as the substitute for Smith.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Edged and dropped! The problems for the slip cordon continue. Many of the balls have landed short of the slip cordon and because of which, the slip fielders are standing a foot ahead. But that is what results in a drop catch now as the edge flew very quickly to Steve Smith who barely had time to react. The key point worth noting here, is the bounce. That one reared off a length, as Mitchell Starc angled this one in from round the wicket, on middle. Temba Bavuma was in no position to play that and ended up trying to fend it, getting an outside edge that flew to first slip, who was standing just 14 meters ahead of the normal standing position. Smith catches it, but the ball rebounds off his chest and drops down as Smith cannot take it on the rebound.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, From round the wicket, full and well outside off, Aiden Markram goes for a booming square drive as he takes the bottom hand of his bat. The ball takes the outer part of his bat, and flies wide of deep point, who runs to his left and cuts it off near the boundary. Single taken.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Shortish, around off, Bavuma stays back to block.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Outside off, much fuller, watchfully defended.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Ooohh... thrown up wide outside off, Temba Bavuma looks to hit the cover of the ball through cover but ends up dragging it, JUST past the stumps. Markram takes off for the single but Bavuma is ball watching and is late by the time he realizes where the ball had gone. Sends his partner back.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Another flighted delivery, on off. Temba Bavuma again prods forward and blocks it under his eyes.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Tossed up on off, Temba Bavuma lunges forward and defends it off the front foot.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Short, quick and just outside off, Aiden Markram cuts it off the back foot, wide of backward point. Usman Khawaja at backward point puts on the chase and cuts it off two-three yards inside the boundary line. Batters complete three runs.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, Whoa, my word! Is this a reminder to the Aussies of how Sam Konstas treated Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG? A length ball, outside off, it is just his second ball but Bavuma goes hard at this one and carves it over cover. He miscues it, but luckily for him, has enough on it to clear the infield. Two runs taken as the fielders mop it up.

Mitchell Starc to Temba Bavuma, On a length, outside off, defended towards point.

Skipper Temba Bavuma walks in next at number 4, replacing Wiaan Mulder.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, OUT! CAUGHT! That is a soft dismissal and out of nowhere, Australia get a wicket. Cummins did get Starc back on for a wicket but this is certainly not one of his wicket-taking deliveries. Not quite sure how are batters affected by delays but this is one of those occasions. There was a long gap between the third and fourth deliveries as Mulder was getting the sightscreen adjusted with Starc changing his angle to round the wicket. Maybe, that little break affected his concentration. A genuine half volley, outside off, Mulder leans and looks to drive on the up. Now, the only justification for Mulder, for not keeping that down could be that the ball came really slow off the surface. Hence, he was not in total control and ended up chipping it straight to Marnus Labuschagne at cover. Mulder just stands there in disappointment, or more in shock. The ball was there to drive, the shot was played, but it was about playing a second early or late. It is not his mistake when you look at the replays but when you look at it live, it is a very soft dismissal. The 61-run stand is broken and Mulder trudges off for 27. South Africa are 70/2 and need another 212 runs.

The spin twins in action, near the boundary. Not too long ago, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann were bowling in tandem in the Isles of Sri Lanka. Right now, Kuhnemann is involved in a long chat with Lyon outside the boundary, probably discussing what is the best way to get the batters commit a mistake.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, Full and just outside off, Wiaan Mulder plays the off drive off the front foot, straight to mid off.