To be at Lord's on an increasingly glorious sunny Saturday was to witness a nation coming into full bloom. The morning mood was cloudy, and slightly cowed, as South Africa's batters did the absolute needful while the pressure was still too real.

Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma didn’t have the pleasure of finishing off what they started in the World Test Championship final at Lord's.

From early setbacks to a record-breaking resurgence, the Proteas combined grit, strategy, and individual brilliance to clinch their maiden WTC crown. Here’s how they did it — in five defining chapters