Proteas go from World Test Champions to India conquerors

THIS was the year the Proteas Test side came of age.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

THE Proteas' crowning moment at Lord's

(BackpagePix)

Under the astute leadership of coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma, the Proteas closed a chapter containing 27 years of hurt, disappointment and trauma to be crowned World Test Champions at Lord's.It was arguably the most seminal moment in South African cricket history since the first ball was bowled at Eden Gardens upon the team's return from isolation back in 1991.

The WTC final at the “Home of Cricket” was an occasion to savour. The opposition was the archenemy Australia, which added to the spectacle, especially as the Baggy Greens were expected to roll a young and inexperienced Proteas team that many believed were not deserving of their place in the showpiece due to the opposition they faced on their road to Lord's.

But this Proteas side had won seven consecutive Tests to earn the right to go into battle on the biggest stage, having shown along the way the type of resilience that would become their trademark.

The WTC final was an excellent advertisement for Test cricket with the momentum switching throughout the first two days before Aiden Markram delivered an innings for the ages. In conjunction with skipper Bavuma, who heroically hobbled through on one leg for the most part of his time at the crease, the Proteas' most experienced batting pair delivered the ICC's golden mace to a success-starved South African cricket nation.

It was a seismic victory that stretched beyond the cricket landscape with Bavuma, the country's first Black African Proteas captain, finally being afforded the recognition he richly deserved from the entire Mzansi.

But for those thinking that the Proteas had scaled their Everest, and that it was only downhill from there with consecutive tours to subcontinent giants Pakistan and India on the horizon to kickstart the new WTC cycle, they had ain't seen nothing yet.