South Africa, woh team jo hamesha bade mauke par ladkhadata hai, woh team jo har baar “itne kareeb, phir bhi itne door” wali kahani likhti hai. World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 ke final mein bhi yahi laga tha, jab Australia jaise giant ke saamne woh khade the. Sabko laga, “Bas, ab toh phir se choke karenge!” Par is baar, Aiden Markram ne kaha, “Nahi bhai, ab bas!” Unki shandaar 136 runs ki innings ne na sirf South Africa ko jeet dilayi, balki 27 saal ke ICC trophy ke sookhe ko bhi khatam kiya.
Yeh jeet sirf ek match ki nahi thi; yeh thi ek lambi safar ka climax, jisme South Africa ne apne purane darr ko peeche chhoda. Lord’s ke maidaan par, jahan cricket ka itihas likha jata hai, Markram ne ek aisi innings kheli jo shayad hamesha ke liye yaad rakhi jayegi. 282 runs ka target, Australia ke zabardast bowlers—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood—ke saamne, yeh koi chhota kaam nahi tha. Par Markram ne, apne pehle innings ke duck ke bawajood, himmat nahi haari. Unki 136 runs ki innings mein sab kuch tha—sabr, technique, aur thodi si jidd bhi, jo kehte hai, “Hum haar nahi manenge!”
Is jeet mein Temba Bavuma ka bhi bada haath tha. Apni hamstring injury ke bawajood, unhone 66 runs banaye aur Markram ke saath 147 runs ki partnership ki. Yeh partnership dil jeetne wali thi, kyunki Bavuma ne dard ke bawajood apne desh ke liye khelna chuna. Yeh wahi Bavuma hain jo hamesha apne team ke liye ladte hain, chahe mauka kitna bhi bada ho. Yaad hai 1998 ka ICC Knockout? Jab South Africa ne apna pehla aur akela ICC title jeeta tha? Tab se lekar ab tak, har baar jab woh final ya semi-final ke kareeb aaye, toh ya toh barish ne khel kharab kiya ya phir unki apni galtiyan. Par is baar, Markram aur Bavuma ne kaha, “Ab nahi!”
Markram ki yeh innings kisi fairytale se kam nahi thi. Ek taraf Australia ke bowlers, jo apne pace aur swing se duniya bhar ke batsmen ko pareshan karte hain, aur doosri taraf Markram, jo ek chhote se desh ke chhote se batting line-up ka hissa hain. Par unhone dikha diya ki bada dil chhote mauke ko bhi bada bana sakta hai. Unki century ke baad, jab Kyle Verreynne ne winning runs maare, toh Lord’s ke maidaan mein South Africa ke fans ke saath saath poori cricket duniya jashn mana rahi thi. Yeh jeet sirf South Africa ki nahi, balki har us team ke liye thi jo bade teams ke saamne ladne ki himmat rakhti hai.
Lekin yeh bhoolna nahi chahiye ki South Africa ka yeh safar aasaan nahi tha. Pehle innings mein unka batting collapse—138 runs par all out—ne sabko yaad dilaya ki yeh team ab bhi galtiyan kar sakti hai. Kagiso Rabada ke 9 wickets (5 pehle innings mein aur 4 doosre mein) ne match ko jeevant rakha, par batting mein wohi purani kahani, jahan top order ladkhadata hai. Markram khud pehle innings mein zero par out ho gaye the! Par is baar, unhone apne aap ko sambhala aur ek aisi innings kheli jo shayad Graeme Smith ya Jacques Kallis ke bade innings ke barabar khadi ho.
Yaad hai 2018 ka woh Test match jab Markram ne Australia ke khilaaf Durban mein 143 runs banaye the? Tab bhi unhone dikha diya tha ki woh bade mauke par bade shots khel sakte hain. Lekin tab South Africa haar gaya tha. Is baar, unhone us haar ka badla le liya. Yeh jeet un sab South African players ke liye bhi thi jo kabhi is stage par nahi jeet sake—AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla—sabke liye ek tribute. Markram ne na sirf apna naam roshan kiya, balki un sabke sapno ko bhi poora kiya jo kabhi poora nahi hua.
Ab thodi si baat Australia ki bhi kar lete hain. Haan, wahi Australia, jo hamesha apne pace attack aur aggressive batting ke liye jani jati hai. Par is baar, unka top order—Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith—kuch khaas nahi kar saka. Pat Cummins ne 6 wickets liye, Mitchell Starc ne 58 runs banaye aur 3 wickets bhi liye, par yeh kaafi nahi tha. Australia ka yeh haar unhe yaad dilayega ki Test cricket mein koi bhi team kabhi bhi jeet sakti hai, chahe woh kitni bhi badi kyun na ho.
Lekin ab yeh sochne ka waqt hai—kya yeh jeet South Africa ke cricket ko badal degi? Ya phir yeh bhi ek aur kahani ban kar reh jayegi, jise hum kuch saalon baad bhool jayenge? Markram ki yeh innings yaad rahegi, par kya South Africa apni consistency banaye rakh payegi? Kyunki cricket mein ek jeet toh bas shuruaat hai, asli challenge toh uske baad aata hai. Aur agar yeh team phir se purane raste par chali gayi, toh shayad yeh jashn bhi ek khali sapne jaisa lagne lagega.
