'Would be great to not have to hear it again' - SA banish chokers tag

Temba Bavuma heard the references as Australia tried to get into South Africa's heads on the fourth day at Lord's, but the 'chokers' tag can now be banished to history.

When Bavuma and Aiden Markram resumed on day four needing 69 to win, the Australians reminded them that the job wasn't done. The tension was palpable in the middle, especially when Bavuma edged Pat Cummins behind with 65 needed and Tristan Stubbs had his bail trimmed by a beauty from Mitchell Starc with the target 41 away.

But in the end, there were no major alarms as Markram took them within touching distance of the target with an innings for the ages.

Bavuma was quick to say how facing the current Australian team is a different experience than in the past - a clear reference to the infamous 2018 series - but that didn't mean there weren't a few words.

"Playing against Australia is a bit different in the last couple of years," he said. "They're not as vocal out on the field. They're still aggressive through their body language, through obviously their skill, but there's not a lot of chatter.

"Of course, the tag of us being chokers, that came about this morning. One of their players threw out the fact that we could lose our eight wickets in less than 60 runs. I definitely heard that.

"Aiden kept using the [words] lock in after every over, let's keep locking in. Let's give them nothing. So yeah, not a lot of chatter, just one or two things that were, that were said."

Australia stretched the game as long as they could and in the end were able to take the second new ball, but by then only 14 runs were needed and Markram dispatched the first delivery of it emphatically through midwicket.

"It was kind of just draw it out as long as we can, try and for the pace bowlers, just try and go for two runs an over," Cummins said. "[Nathan] Lyon was looking really likely and you never know, maybe some clouds come over, maybe a new ball does something different, just try to string it out as more and more nerves play into it as well."

Markram, who had been emotional when reaching his century on the third evening and referenced his own feelings when falling short in last year's T20 World Cup, hoped talk of the past had been permanently put to bed.

"It would be great to not have to hear it again, that's for sure," he said. "In terms of it motivating you, I mean, there's always going to be external things that can motivate you, but it's not your sole purpose for playing. To have got the job done and to literally have got the job done and to get rid of that is quite a big thing for this team."

Cummins was gracious in his assessment of Markram's performance and South Africa overall after the frequent debates about their route to the final.

"A few of us have played alongside him as well in IPL and [he's] very well respected," he said. "He's a good man, Aidan. Unfortunately for us, he kind of made it look pretty easy out there and just built a big innings. We threw a fair bit at him, but [he] had an answer for everything."

"Everyone has a slightly different route to make the final, but they absolutely deserved to make the final and showed why I think they're very deserving champions."