The scale of the challenge facing South Africa when they began their innings was not quite the summit of Everest, but it certainly felt a fair way above base camp.
At the start of their innings, WinViz gave South Africa a 38% chance of pulling off the joint second-highest successful chase for a Test match at Lord’s.
England chased down the same target against New Zealand – for the loss of three wickets – in 2004 while West Indies managed a nine-wicket victory against England in 1984 in pursuit of 342.
In the 148-year history of Test cricket – in excess of 2,000 matches – there have also been just 26 occasions when the team batting last has scored the highest total of the match as South Africa require here.
Having been rolled for 138 in the first innings, and up against an Australian bowling attack with more than 1,500 Test wickets between them, it felt like big ask.
The burden of history and data did not seem to weigh too heavily on the shoulders of Markram and Bavuma, though, as bat truly dominated ball for the first time in this contest.
South Africa lost Ryan Rickleton – who chased an away swinger from Starc and edged into the gloves of Alex Carey – but it did not stymie the Proteas’ intent.
Markram and Wiaan Mulder were positive rather than tentative during a 69-run stand for the second wicket which provided a solid foundation.
Mulder had reached 27 before he rather tamely chipped Starc, who had swapped to the Nursery End, into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne in the covers.
That brought Bavuma, South Africa’s leading run-scorer in Tests since December 2019, to the crease and he had an escape when Steve Smith grounded a tough chance when he was on just two.
Smith suffered a compound dislocation of the little finger on his right hand after shelling the chance and left the field to go hospital for further treatment.
All the while Markram was quietly going about his business, during an authoritative and measured knock offering barely a chance.
He carefully picked his moments to gracefully drive, square drive and guide boundaries alongside sensible accumulation on both sides of the wicket.
South Africa’s scoring rate slowed as the match headed towards stumps, but there was still time for Markram to reach three figures in the penultimate over of the day.
Hazlewood strayed on to his pads and Markram effortlessly flicked the ball square for four before he took off his helmet to salute the crowd.
