'Australia won't go down...': South Africa great fires major warning to Temba Bavuma & Co. ahead of Day 4 of WTC final

With South Africa just 69 runs away from reaching the target of 282 in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's, they look set to finally end their 27-year wait for a major international trophy. The last time that the Proteas won such a title was back in 1998 when they defeated West Indies in the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy.

Steyn wants South Africa to not let their guard down

However, ahead of the fourth day of the ongoing WTC final, legendary South Africa pacer Dale Steyn fired a massive warning to Temba Bavuma & Co. and stated that Australia's bowling attack will make it very hard for the batters to score runs.

"This is what Test cricket is all about, as South Africa will be sitting in their dressing room and thinking - had they picked up those two wickets early morning in the 1st session of Day 3 or not bowled as many no-balls, this match would've been wrapped up already. But the rollercoaster of Test cricket means we're back in Day 4 - while 69 runs may sound easy, Australia won't go down without a fight. These 69 will be the hardest runs South Africa will ever have to earn. This Test has been sensational over three days," Steyn said on JioHotstar.

"Australia will come hard. Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins - they know how to fight back. South Africa will have to bat like it's Day 1 again," he added.

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On the other hand, former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden showered praise on the South Africa batting duo of Aiden Markram (102*) and Temba Bavuma (65*) who formed an unbeaten 143-run partnership on Day 3 and put the Aussies under immense pressure.

"This was top-class. Markram has shown why he's one of the best timers of the ball. And Bavuma, limping but resolute, has been the heartbeat of this chase. They've been smart, aggressive when needed, and incredibly aware," Hayden stated.

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With the crucial fourth day beckoning, Steyn believes that South Africa's batting performance will define the side's legacy. "They've been brilliant, but they must finish it. These 69 runs will define this team's legacy," Steyn said.