Australia lost the WTC Final against South Africa but it has a long history of being involved in on-field controversy, usually as a result of their sledging methods on the field aimed at provocative behavior. Although the present team under Pat Cummins’ captaincy has been largely reputed to be more level-headed, they too seemed to cross the line during the World Test Championship final against South Africa.
As the Proteas drew near their victory on Day 4 at Lord’s, it is reported that Australian cricketers went so far as to invoke the feared word “choke” in an attempt to unsettle Temba Bavuma and the rest of his team. It appeared that the Australians were going the whole nine yards to disrupt the key stand between Bavuma and Aiden Markram.
Once South Africa had attained the title, Bavuma disclosed in a post-match interview that he distinctly heard the term “choke” when he was at the crease, suggesting the psychological strategies Australia used in an effort to break their concentration.
“While we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word: choke,” said Bavuma on BBC Test Match Special. “We came in with a lot of belief and a lot of doubters. We got ourselves into the final, and there were doubters as to the route we took. This win squashes that. Here’s an opportunity for us as a nation, divided as we are, to unite.”
“As a country, it’s a chance for us to rejoice in something, to forget about our issues and really come together. I hope it inspires and continues to inspire our country. For this group of players, there were a lot of doubters but the way we played would have wiped all of that out,” the South Africa skipper added.
