June 14, 2025
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ICC World Test Championship Final

WTC Final: South Africa target Australia's weakness; Bavuma says 'there is an opportunity there' | Cricket News

WTC Final: South Africa target Australia’s weakness; Bavuma says ‘there is an opportunity there’ | Cricket News

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Temba Bavuma of South Africa during a nets session at Lord’s Cricket Ground. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has pinpointed Australia’s makeshift opening pair as a key vulnerability his side intends to exploit when the ICC World Test Championship Final begins at Lord’s on Wednesday.Australia surprised many by promoting Marnus Labuschagne — traditionally a No.3 — to open alongside Usman Khawaja, bypassing teenage option Sam Konstas. Labuschagne has never opened in Tests, and the Proteas believe this unfamiliarity could tilt the early advantage their way.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I think there is an opportunity there,” Bavuma said on the eve of the ‘Ultimate Test.’ “The conditions bring us into the game a lot. With the swinging ball — very different from Australian conditions and even South African conditions — that definitely gives us an opportunity.” Poll Who do you think will be the key bowler for South Africa in the final? Both teams named bold XIs ahead of the one-off clash. South Africa opted for the returning Lungi Ngidi over Dane Paterson and retained Wiaan Mulder at No.3, while Australia’s decision to reshuffle their top-order is viewed as a gamble.“I think both teams have formidable bowling attacks. The real opportunity lies in the batting line-ups and how they respond to these conditions and pressure,” Bavuma added. Bold prediction! Astrologer Greenstone Lobo picks winner of Australia vs South Africa WTC Final 2025 Key to South Africa’s attack will be Kagiso Rabada. Rabada returns to Lord’s, a venue where he claimed a five-wicket haul in 2022, and enters the final in top form following his IPL stint with Gujarat Titans.“I think he’s in the best shape that he’s ever been,” Bavuma said. “He loves playing against the Australians, and that will be extra motivation for him. I think he’s in a very good space.”With the stakes high and conditions promising assistance to bowlers, South Africa are banking on early breakthroughs to shake Australia’s foundations.

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WTC Final: Australia announce strong Playing XI to defend title at Lord’s | Cricket News

WTC Final: Australia announce strong Playing XI to defend title at Lord’s | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Australia captain Pat Cummins has announced his team’s playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa, set to begin on Tuesday, June 11, at Lord’s, according to the ICC website.Former No.1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne has been promoted to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja. In the pace department, Josh Hazlewood has been preferred over Scott Boland and will join Mitchell Starc and Cummins in leading the fast-bowling attack.All-rounder Cameron Green returns to the Test side for the first time since undergoing back surgery, while Beau Webster retains his place in the XI, offering additional bowling options with his medium pace and part-time spin.Cummins’ Australia will be aiming to defend the WTC mace, which they secured last year after defeating India in the final at The Oval in June 2023.Australia have enjoyed a dominant run in the current WTC cycle, remaining unbeaten in Test series over the past two years. During this period, they claimed away wins in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, retained the Ashes in England, and registered home victories against both Pakistan and India, along with a drawn series against the West Indies.This will be Australia’s second consecutive appearance in the WTC final, bringing valuable experience into the high-stakes contest. For South Africa, this marks their debut in a WTC final, and the Proteas will be eager to script a historic triumph in red-ball cricket. MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost Australia playing 11: 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Marnus Labuschagne, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Travis Head, 6. Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood.Australia Full squad for WTC final: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett.

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South Africa announce Playing XI for WTC Final vs Australia | Cricket News

South Africa announce Playing XI for WTC Final vs Australia | Cricket News

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Temba Bavuma (Image credit: ICC) NEW DELHI: South Africa have unveiled a strong playing XI for their much-anticipated World Test Championship Final clash against Australia in what is being billed as the Ultimate Test. The match begins on Wednesday. Captain Temba Bavuma announced the lineup, which reflects a well-balanced squad packed with depth in both batting and bowling. This marks South Africa’s maiden appearance in a WTC Final.At the top of the batting order is Ryan Rickelton, the leading run-scorer for South Africa in the WTC 2023–25 cycle. He is joined by Bavuma — not far behind in the scoring charts — along with Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs.One notable selection is Wiaan Mulder at No. 3 — a continuation of his recent role in Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.“Mulder is quite young in that position. But I think having played with Mulder, having seen him and the way he has grown in the last two years within the red-ball format,” Bavuma said.“It’s about giving him a lot more confidence, keep backing him and just allowing him to do what he does best.“He has an opportunity in a pressure situation, but I think he can take comfort from the fact that the guys are backing him. We just want him to play his game.”While Keshav Maharaj slots in as the only specialist spinner, the Proteas pace attack features Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi.Dane Paterson, who had impressed during South Africa’s previous series against Pakistan, misses out. Bavuma explained the decision to pick Ngidi instead.“Probably one of the tougher decisions that has been made. We see what Dane Paterson did for us to the end of last season,” Bavuma said.“But it was more from a tactical point of view. Probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, guess he’s a bit taller as well.“Lungi also has a better record, not taking away anything from Patto. He (Ngidi) has the experience, he’s played here before, not that Patto hasn’t. MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost “But I think he (Ngidi) will complement that bowling attack a little more. We have a guy like Mulder, who can give us something similar like Patto.“It was probably one of the difficult decision we had to make.”South Africa Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

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WTC Final: Steve Smith vs Kagiso Rabada takes centre stage; who is favourite to prevail at Lord’s? | Cricket News

WTC Final: Steve Smith vs Kagiso Rabada takes centre stage; who is favourite to prevail at Lord’s? | Cricket News

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Steve Smith and Kagiso Rabada As Australia and South Africa gear up for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, cricket fans are eagerly anticipating the battle between Australian batting star Steve Smith and South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada. Australia aims to defend their WTC mace from 2023, while South Africa seeks their first world cricket title.The head-to-head statistics between Smith and Rabada reveal an intriguing contest. In 15 innings, Smith has scored 128 runs off Rabada’s bowling, facing 262 balls. Rabada has dismissed Smith four times, with Smith maintaining an average of 48.85 and a strike rate of 32.00 against him. Smith has hit 16 fours and two sixes while playing 207 dot balls against Rabada.Both players have impressive records at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Rabada boasts the best average of 19.38 among all bowlers in the final, surpassing Australian pacers Pat Cummins (21.10), Josh Hazlewood (26.15), and Mitchell Starc (33.62). In his two Tests at the venue, Rabada has claimed 13 wickets with best figures of 5/52. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments Smith has demonstrated exceptional performance at Lord’s, accumulating 525 runs in five Tests across nine innings at an average of 58.33. His record includes two centuries and two fifties, with his most recent innings being a knock of 110 against England in the 2023 Ashes.Smith enters the final in tremendous form, having recently completed 10,000 runs and scored four centuries in his last five Tests against India and Sri Lanka. His record in ICC knockout matches is particularly notable, with 584 runs in 12 matches at an average of 58.40, including two centuries and four fifties.Rabada stands on the verge of significant milestones in Test cricket. With 327 Test wickets at an average of 22.00, including 16 five-wicket hauls, he needs just four more wickets to surpass Allan Donald’s record of 330 wickets and become South Africa’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Dale Steyn holds the record for most Test wickets for South Africa with 439 wickets in 93 Tests, maintaining an average of 22.95 and claiming 26 five-wicket hauls.In international cricket across all formats, Rabada currently has 566 wickets in 241 appearances, with an average of 24.27 and 18 five-wicket hauls. He needs seven more wickets to overtake Jacques Kallis, who holds the fifth position with 572 wickets.Shaun Pollock leads South Africa’s all-time international wicket-takers list with 823 wickets in 414 matches, achieved at an average of 23.63 with 21 five-wicket hauls.Rabada’s performance in ICC knockout events includes six wickets in four matches, maintaining an average of 26.83 with best figures of 2/14 and an economy rate of 7.00.The upcoming WTC final presents an opportunity for both players to enhance their already impressive records and potentially play decisive roles in their teams’ pursuit of the championship title.

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WTC Final: Temba Bavuma harboured dreams of playing at Lord's as youngster; to lead Proteas against Australia | Cricket News

WTC Final: Temba Bavuma harboured dreams of playing at Lord’s as youngster; to lead Proteas against Australia | Cricket News

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South Africa’s Temba Bavuma (AP/PTI) South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma, the first Black cricketer to lead his country in Test cricket, shared his journey from playing cricket in the streets of Langa to leading his team at Lord’s in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final against Australia on June 11. South Africa last faced Australia in a Test series in 2022-23, where Australia won 2-0.Bavuma, now 35, recalled his childhood connection to Lord’s cricket ground, drawing parallels between the streets of his hometown and famous cricket venues.“There was always some sort of allegiance with Lord’s when we were growing up in Langa. On the right-hand side of the street the tar wasn’t done so nicely and we used to call it Karachi. The other side was the MCG. But my favourite section was clean and done up nicely, and we called it Lord’s because it just looked better. As a kid of 10, I already had that dream of playing at Lord’s,” Bavuma told The Guardian. Poll Can Temba Bavuma lead South Africa to victory in the WTC final against Australia? His journey included earning a scholarship to SACS, where he faced challenges adapting to a predominantly white institution.“It was tough integrating within the system, learning and understanding the (white) culture,” he said of his time at SACS. “But I had to learn about discipline and etiquette. I also had to learn confidence. Can you imagine taking a child from the township into a system where, basically, everything is there? There were always doubts. Am I good enough to be here?” Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Bavuma remembered the stark differences when SACS played against Langa. “My friends from Langa would have huge plates at lunch. We’d laugh about it but… the Langa boy would be wondering when is he going to get another opportunity to eat food like that?”His cricket career progressed after moving to Johannesburg and attending St David’s, which has since named its cricket ground after him.Bavuma achieved a significant milestone in 2016 by becoming the first Black South African to score a Test century. His second century came in 2023 after becoming Test captain.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?“The added responsibility, getting pushed up the order, is something I thrived on,” Bavuma said. “Most of all, I just understand my game and I don’t try playing like anyone else.”Under his leadership, South Africa secured their place in the World Test Championship final by winning seven consecutive Tests, despite challenges including scheduling inequality, player unavailability, and funding constraints.The ICC World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia is scheduled to begin on June 11 at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

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WTC Final: Marco Jansen reveals Ricky Ponting's cheeky send-off - 'Good luck, but hope you lose' ahead of Australia clash | Cricket News

WTC Final: Marco Jansen reveals Ricky Ponting’s cheeky send-off – ‘Good luck, but hope you lose’ ahead of Australia clash | Cricket News

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Marco Jansen with Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting. (Pic credit: IPL) South African pacer Marco Jansen has shared the cheeky parting words from Ricky Ponting that continue to echo in his mind as he prepares to face Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.Fresh off a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Punjab Kings, where he claimed 16 wickets in 14 matches, Jansen revealed that Ponting, who coached the Kings to a runners-up finish in his debut season, offered both support and a light-hearted jab before Jansen left India for England.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Before I left (India), he (Ponting) just said, ‘Good luck, I hope you do well, but I hope you lose’,” Jansen told ICC Digital with a grin, as South Africa’s warm-up match against Zimbabwe was washed out in Arundel.The 24-year-old left-armer was full of praise for Ponting’s coaching style, especially his ability to nurture confidence and focus on the positives. Poll Do you believe Marco Jansen will excel in the ICC World Test Championship Final? “I learnt a lot from him, especially from a mental point of view. He is always positive and he always sees the good stuff instead of the bad. I think that’s why he’s a legend of the game,” Jansen said. “He always reminds you what could happen, what you can do, instead of what might go wrong.”Now shifting focus to red-ball cricket, Jansen is keen to soak up more knowledge from recently retired England pacer Stuart Broad, who has joined the Proteas in a consulting role ahead of the WTC Final. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy “Obviously, he’s played a lot against Australia at Lord’s,” Jansen said. “Maybe I’ll pick his brain… ask what they did to get certain batters out. But at the end of the day, you still have to figure it out yourself on the pitch.”

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