Markram was faced with the daunting task of the second-highest successful run chase in a Lord's Test, let alone under the immense weight of needing to shake off the famous C-word synonymous with South African cricket.
Add to that a confidence-sapping duck in the first innings and the odds were well and truly against a man who had to draw upon more historical successes for inspiration.
The conditions, however, were in favour of he and his captain Temba Bavuma as they set out upon a career-defining partnership with the wheels on the bus looking a little wobbly.
Markram had far less lateral movement to negotiate from Australia's bowlers compared with the first innings and South Africa's top order displayed their relative comfort with the day three surface as they looked to score singles from good deliveries rather than waiting like sitting ducks for one with their name on it.
The second-most experienced Test player in the Proteas XI then had to take ownership of the unbeaten stand with his captain when a hamstring injury to Bavuma had South Africa's team management seriously considering forcing their skipper off the field for treatment.
After helping his team along to 47/1 after ten overs, putting the pressure back on their opponents from the outset, Markram negotiated a difficult opening spell from Australia spinner Nathan Lyon and then regained his delightful off-side flair without sacrificing the composure that was needed to get through the 90s.
Seven balls before stumps were called, a vastly pro-South African crowd rose to acknowledge what will go down as one of the all-time knocks in an ICC final of any format. Bavuma, 37 runs behind on the scorecard, deserves equal accolades for gritting his teeth and displaying the leadership needed of a captain through what was a visibly uncomfortable personal situation.
This isn't his first flirt with heroism...
Markram became the 27th man to ton up at least three times in the fourth innings of a Test match and just the second from his country, behind another Proteas captain Graeme Smith (four). This is set to be the first of three to come in a victory, but it will add to an extensive list of cool and collected last innings knocks across all three formats.
• March 5, 2018: Markram's Test career exploded out of the blocks with runs galore against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and after a lean run of scores in a home series against India, the then 23-year-old still had critics to win over. In the first Test in Durban, Markram didn't shy away from the enormous target of 417 set by the Aussies, winning admirers with a 340-minute stay at the crease (143) that, albeit in defeat, set him up for another couple of big scores later in the series.
• February 8, 2021: His fifth Test century came in similar circumstances, where he played his part in South Africa's attempt to chase what would have been a venue record run chase of 370 in Rawalpindi against Pakistan. His 108 was almost double the score of the next best (Bavuma's 61) as his teammates crumbled to some inspired bowling from Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
• October 26, 2021: After a last-over defeat to Australia in their first 'Super 12' game of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Markram gets his campaign back on track with a team-best 51* (26) in an eight-wicket win over the West Indies. South Africa would miss the semi-finals only on Net Run Rate.
• October 30, 2022: South Africa were thwarted by rain twice in the 2022 T20 World Cup, either side of a composed 52 from Markram as South Africa took 19.4 overs to get past India's 133/9 on a very difficult Perth Stadium pitch. He came in at number four with the team reeling at 3/2.
• February 12, 2023: Markram helps his team Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title with 26 from 19 balls in a tricky chase of 136, recording his team's second-highest score. They would then defend the title in 2024, this time with Markram making 42* (26) as they batted first.
• October 27, 2023: One of South Africa's seven wins in the group stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup came courtesy of Markram's 91 against Pakistan in a tight one-wicket triumph. He watched four teammates fall at the other end before himself falling short of a century.
• June 13, 2025: Markram finishes day three of the 2025 World Test Championship final against Australia on 102* with his team needing another 69 runs on day four to win.