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AUS vs SA WTC Final 2025: South Africa's Test skipper Temba Bavuma was praised by the fans on the third day of the WTC summit clash against Australia at the Lord's Cricket Ground, where he showed grit and determination as he kept the scorecard ticking while reeling with unbearable pain. Suffering from a hamstring injury, Bavuma fought against all the odds and thus kept the hopes of his team alive while chasing a record target of 282 runs.

Initially, Australia's tailenders turned the tide of the match by stitching a record partnership for the 10th wicket. Mitchell Starc, who scored a gritty fifty along with Josh Hazlewood, scored enough runs to post a challenging target of 282 runs for the Proteas, which is also the joint-highest run-chase during a WTC summit clash. The Temba Bavuma-led side had a disappointing start as opener Ryan Rickleton fell cheaply.

But then Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder helped the team bounce back by stitching a partnership of 59 runs. And just when things became easier for the Proteas, Mitchell Starc took Wiaan Mulder's wicket and thus the Proteas came under the pressure again.

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Bavuma came into bat at no.4 position and his arrival didn't calm their nerves either. After scoring just two runs, Steve Smith had dropped him while standing at slip and that led to him dislocating his finger and there are high chances that he had been ruled out. And situation went out of control for him as he had sustained a hamstring injury during the 24th over and was also seen limping while running between the wickets.

Even though he was reeling in excruciating pain, he took his innings deep. He brought up his fifty off 82 balls and decided not to celebrate. He didn't raise his bat and neither did he fist his pump and just looked focused. The fas present at the venue applauded him but he had set his eyes on the ultimate trophy.

The fans not only chanted his name but also compared him to a lion.

Here's how fans reacted to Temba Bavuma's gritty knock:

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His gritty knock had become a topic of discussion online, where fans were seen comparing his grit and determination to that of a lion. For South Africa, who are eyeing their maiden ICC title, their skipper Bavuma's knock proved quite powerful.

Since Aiden Markram looked quite composed after smashing a brilliant century and also proved his naysayers wrong and with Bavuma unbeaten at 65, the pair have now kept the hopes alive of a country. They need just 69 runs to win the match, and they are now inching closer towards history under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma.