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

Nathan Lyon is warming up. Suspect he will come from Hazlewood's end, who has bowled 5 overs in this spell. In fact, he is on from this end. So Cummins might switch ends in the next over. Lyon bowled with figures of 8-3-12-0 in the first innings. Did not threaten the batters but did not bowl loose balls. Cummins will expect same type of control for now. If Australia need wickets, they first need to slow down the run rate.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and just outside off, Aiden Markram exhibits a solid front foot defense.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, A bit too straight, Mulder works this through square leg for a single.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, On a length, outside off, Wiaan Mulder watches the ball closely and pushes it towards point.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Full on off, Wiaan Mulder defends it off the front foot to short cover.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Length ball that seams in and stays a touch low, Wiaan Mulder does well to defend it.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Length ball on middle, Aiden Markram plays the flick along the ground to deep square leg for a single.

Worth giving Lyon the ball right now? Not yet. Lyon is someone who likes bounce. With the ball relatively new, he may not get turn, but can generate extra bounce to trouble the batters. For now, Hazlewood continues.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Back of a length, outside off, Mulder lets it through.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, On a length, around off, pushed towards mid on.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, FOUR! SMOKED! Terrific shot from Wiaan Mulder but not the best piece of fielding by Travis Head. A short ball, barely rises to chest height, Mulder picks the length in a trice and pulls it all along the ground through square leg. Head starts to run to his right but at the time of putting in a dive, does not put the dive and the ball meets the fence. 237 more needed.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Overpitched on off, Wiaan Mulder eases the drive to short cover.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Full on middle, Wiaan Mulder now defends it off the front foot to mid on.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Back of a length, on middle, Wiaan Mulder blocks it off the back foot to mid on.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and straight, 135 kph, Aiden defends. Believe it or not, this is the most frugal over of the run chase.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, On a length, outside off, Markram opens the face of his bat and guides it behind point. Nathan Lyon jogs across to his left at the sweeper cover boundary to keep the batters to a couple.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full, outside off, Aiden Markram gets a long way forward to defend the ball towards cover.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Length ball swinging in a touch, on middle and off, Aiden Markram is almost undone by the movement as he somehow gets an inside edge on it, and the ball crashes into his pads before going into the ground.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Length ball on off, Aiden Markram blocks it off the front foot, to the left of short cover.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, A touch fuller, Aiden Markram didn't expect it to be that full and hence he didn't commit on the front foot and ends up defending it off the crease. 

Interesting. Steve Smith has got the helmet on at second slip. But for that, the ball has to take the outside edge first.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, FOUR! Another fine stroke! On a length, outside off, Wiaan Mulder stands tall and upright and punches this past a diving point, to his right, for his third boundary! This stand is racing along at 30 (29)!

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Fuller, outside off, Mulder comes forward to defend but the ball pitches and then moves away off the seam, to beat the outside edge.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, A bit too straight, Wiaan Mulder leans and clips it through square leg. The immediate call is for two and the batters run extremely well to make it. This has been a fabulous start by South Africa on all accounts. Not only have they lost just the solitary wicket, they are going at 5 an over. Not even a single maiden!

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Good length again, on off, Wiaan Mulder uncomfortably defends it off the crease. That ball straightened a bit after pitching, and hence Wiaan Mulder was uncomfortable defending it.

Pat Cummins to Wiaan Mulder, Good length, seaming into the right hander, on middle and off, Wiaan Mulder defends it into the leg side.

Bowling change. With the ball not swinging and Starc leaking runs, Pat Cummins brings himself on to exert some control.

Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, On a length, on off, Aiden Markram defends it off the crease into the off side and calls for one straightaway. The gully fielder came running at the ball, but in the end the batters comfortably complete the single.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Full and around off, Wiaan is solid in defense.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, FOUR! SMASH! A rare bad ball from Josh Hazlewood, short and wide outside off, too good an opportunity to miss against the new ball. Mulder stands tall and crashes it to the left of point for his second boundary.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, On a length, just outside off, Wiaan Mulder defends it towards cover.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, On a length, angling into the right hander, on middle, Wiaan Mulder looks to flick it and misses, as the ball hits him near the stomach area. That would have hurt.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Length ball, that shapes away slightly, well outside off, Wiaan Mulder leaves it alone.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, On a length, swinging into the right hander on off, Wiaan Mulder blocks it off the front foot.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Angling across off on a good length. Aiden Markram decides to shoulder arms. Two boundaries from this over, 9 overall coming off it.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Placed perfectly into the gap! Hits the deck hard, does Starc, with a slight inward curve onto the pads. Aiden Markram hops on the back foot and clips this past square leg for a boundary. A lovely display of wristwork there.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Going across off on a length, Aiden Markram plays it late and dabs the ball to the gully fielder.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Shapes into the batter from middle, on a length. Aiden Markram gets right behind it and keeps it out to short cover.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Markram is on the charge! A bit too full from Starc, across off, angling away. Aiden Markram pounces on the length and width offered, leans on the ball and cracks the cover drive for a boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, Good length, on the leg stump line. Wiaan Mulder nudges this to the square leg region and pinches a quick single.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Short of a length, on off, punched off the back foot to the cover region.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Length ball, on the stumps, Aiden Markram blocks this out.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, BEATEN! A superb response from 'The Hoff'! Just holds the line of the off stump, on a hard length, and the ball straightens a bit off the deck as well, with possibly some extra bounce. Aiden Markram gets a bit flummoxed by that, as he brings his bat in front to block. Plays inside the line and the ball whispers past the outside edge. Perfectly crafted nut from Hazlewood.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Exquisite! Short of a good length from Hoff, outside off, Aiden Markram sees the ball closely, rocks back and punches through the cover region for a boundary.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Good length, angled at the pads, Wiaan Mulder steers it through square leg for a single.

Interesting tactics from the Aussies. In the Lunch break, Steve Smith and Beau Webster were practicing catching with their helmets on. It is never easy to catch at slip wearing a helmet and in recent memory, Joe Root was the first to advocate this. We saw Aiden Markram donning a helmet while fielding yesterday. Right now, none of the Aussie slip fielders have a helmet on but as the ball grows older and does not carry at a good height to Carey, suspect they might employ that tactic.

Josh Hazlewood to Wiaan Mulder, Nagging length, with a bit of nip back in from off. Wiaan Mulder tucks it to mid-wicket.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, Hard length, on middle and leg. Wiaan Mulder keeps it out and taps it to the cover region, for a quick single. A successful over for Starc and Australia, nonetheless.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, Fuller and on off, pushed wide of cover.

Mitchell Starc to Wiaan Mulder, FOUR! That's desperately played and placed! Back of a length, across off, Wiaan Mulder plays it late. Dabs the ball between the gully and the diving third slip fielder. The ball races away to the deep third fence for four.