Pat Cummins praised South Africa for their resilience after they beat Australia by five wickets to win the World Test Championship.

Cummins' Australia failed to hold onto their test cricket crown as Aiden Markram's 136 inspired South Africa to victory early on day four.

The Australia captain took figures of 6-28 in South Africa's first innings, but they failed to make the most of their lead of 74 at the halfway point.

Cummins said conditions did not help them build on their advantage, but did not take any credit away from South Africa.

"Things can change pretty quickly," said Cummins at the post-match presentation. "Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far.

"Having a decent first-innings lead, that's where you want to bat the opposition out of the game. If we bat another session, the conditions can help us a little bit more.

"They were fantastic in that fourth innings. There wasn't a lot in the wicket but they didn't give us a chance.

"They showed why they're in this final and deserved champions. All facets on all four days, they kept themselves in the game.

"When they got a sniff, they took a few wickets. They were fantastic."

After an early setback, Aiden Markram gets the chase back on track with an exquisite four 

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Australia's top order collapsed in both innings as Cummins stated that as one of the reasons for the loss, along with the conditions.

"It's been a wonderful two years. The guys have performed really well to get us here. It didn’t come together this game," Cummins added.

"For the first two days, the bowlers were fantastic. Maybe a little bit of both [conditions and top seven's batting]."

The 2025-2027 WTC cycle starts on June 17 when Sri Lanka host Bangladesh in the first of a two-match series.

Cummins believes the WTC has been a brilliant addition to the longest format of the sport, saying: "It's fantastic. It's the pinnacle. 

"I love Test cricket. It's something you build towards for two years, it's a huge achievement to make the final, and then a one-game shootout. I think it's a fantastic spectacle."