Could the Australia–South Africa showdown at Lord's be the shortest ever WTC Final?
With bowlers dominating and conditions heavily favouring seam movement, the third edition of World Test Championship (WTC) final is unfolding at a lightning pace. Over 28 wickets have fallen within just six sessions, raising the possibility of a result well before the scheduled fifth day - or even the reserve day.
Of the 28 wickets to fall so far, 25 have been claimed by pace bowlers, perfectly reflecting the seamer-friendly conditions and the nature of the Lord's pitch. The dominance of the quicks has emphasized just how much the weather and surface have influenced play in this fast-moving
WTC Final
.
Pat Cummins
(6/28) and
Kagiso Rabada
(5/51) have led the charge with lethal spells, as batting collapses have defined the contest so far. If the trend continues, this high-stakes clash could go down in history as the shortest WTC Final ever played.
It's highly likely that the match could finish later today, wrapping up inside just three days - something that has never happened before in a World Test Championship Final.
— ICC (@ICC)
Live Events
South Africa mounting a stunning fightback to bowl out Australia and clinch an improbable victory to claim the
ICC
mace may seem like a distant possibility - but cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. Should such a turnaround occur, this WTC Final would undoubtedly etch its place in the history books as one of the most dramatic and unforgettable contests ever played.
Earlier on Day 2, Cummins delivered a stunning spell, taking four wickets for just one run to trigger South Africa's collapse for 138 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 212 at Lord's.
Australia had reached 144/8 when the stumps were drawn on the second day, holding a potentially match-defining lead of 218 runs.
Australia's second innings saw a dramatic top-order collapse to 73/7, with Kagiso Rabada (3/44) and Lungi Ngidi (3/35) leading South Africa's charge. However, Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16*), steadied the innings with a crucial 61-run stand for the eighth wicket, before Carey was trapped lbw by Rabada late in the day.
— ICC (@ICC)
HOW LONG PREVIOUS TWO WTC FINALS LASTED?
The inaugural edition of the WTC Final, held in Southampton, saw New Zealand defeat India by eight wickets in a match that lasted six days, including the reserve day due to rain interruptions. The second edition also went the full distance, with Australia securing a commanding 209-run victory over India after five days of play.
RESERVE DAY IN WTC 2025 FINAL?
June 16 has been designated as the reserve day for the ongoing WTC Final 2025 by the ICC. As per the tournament regulations, the reserve day will only be used if time lost during the scheduled five days - due to weather or other interruptions - cannot be recovered, even after extending play on the affected days. Crucially, the reserve day will come into effect only if no result is reached by the end of the fifth day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
'The sun is on us': SA skipper Bavuma ecstastic following WTC win; hails Markram, Rabada for showing immense character
London [UK], June 14 (ANI): After his side clinched their maiden ICC World Test Championship title, South African skipper Temba Bavuma hailed two of the biggest architects of their win, pacer Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram for showing immense character, even remarking that Rabada would be in the ICC Hall of Fame in a few years. Rabada and Markram, two teammates from the 'Class of 2014' which won the U19 World Cup for South Africa, stood out as the main heroes for their sides as a nine-wicket haul from Rabada and a Lord's century from Markram helped Proteas to their first-ever world title, beating Australia by five wickets. Speaking during the post-match presentation, Bavuma was appreciative of Rabada, who came into the match after serving a one-month ban for recreational drug use, but yet showed immense character with a brilliant first innings five-wicket haul, eventually overtaking Allan Donald to become the fourth-highest Test wicket-taker for his nation. He also lauded Markram, a prodigious talent hailed for his strokeplay and class, but often slammed for his inconsistency. "KG (Rabada) is a massive player. A couple of days ago, I went to the Hall of Fame inductees. I think he will be on there in a few years. Came into the game under controversy and did what he did. Aiden is unbelievable. People have questioned his place, but he has character. He played in true Aiden fashion; he and Rabada have carried the character. We got ourselves into the final, there were doubters on the route we took, and this win squashes that. Here is an opportunity for us as a nation, divided as we are, to unite. You can be rest assured we will celebrate as one," he said. Rabada said that it has been a "special couple of days" for the team and felt at home in the UK with the crowd support they had. "Special moment for us as a team, special moment back home, will take a couple of days to sink in. The energy was there, we have been wanting this as a team, we have been knocking on the door, we have gone through the heartache, the disappointments, seen it with the past players, and the sun is on us. Hopefully, this is one of many," he concluded. Coming to the match, On Day 1, Proteas won the toss and opted to bowl first. They dominated the first session with the ball, as fiery spells from Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) reduced Australia to 67/4. A 79-run stand between Steve Smith (66 in 112 balls, with 10 fours) and Beau Webster (72 in 92 balls, with 11 fours) and a 46-run stand between Carey (23 in 31 balls, with four boundaries) and Webster took Australia to 212 all out. With the help of early two wickets from Starc and contributions from Cummins and Hazlewood helped Australia reduced South Africa to 43/4 at day one end, with Bavuma (3*) and Bedingham (0*) unbeaten. A six-fer from skipper Pat Cummins (6/28) helped Australia bundle out Proteas for 138 runs and secure a 74-run lead, despite a half-century run-stand between skipper Temba Bavuma (36 in 84 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and David Bedingham (45 in 111 balls, with six fours). In their second innings, Australia was reduced to 73/7, but a 61-run stand between Alex Carey (46 in 50 balls, with five fours) and Mitchell Starc (58* in 136 balls, with five fours), who also put a last wicket stand of 59 runs with Josh Hazlewood. Australia was bundled out for 207 runs, leading by 281 runs. Rabada (4/59) and Ngidi (3/38) were the pick of the bowlers for South Africa. In the run-chase, Proteas lost Ryan Rickelton early, but a 61-run stand between Wiaan Mulder (27 in 50 balls, with five fours) and Markram put Proteas on track. An even gigantic, frustrating 147 run stand between Markram (136 in 207 balls, with 14 fours) and skipper Bavuma (66 in 134 balls, with five fours) followed, rattling Australia. Despite Starc (3/63) attempting to keep Aussies alive, Kyle Verreyne hit the winning runs for South Africa to take them to their first ICC title since the ICC Knockout 1998. Markram took home the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
The Hindu
16 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Top news of the day: South Africa ends 27-year drought of major ICC title by winning WTC final; DNA samples of six Ahmedabad plane crash victims match, bodies to be handed over to kin, and more
WTC final: South Africa ends 27-year drought of major ICC title South Africa ended their 27-year wait for a major ICC title by defeating Australia in the World Test Championship final on day 4 at Lords in London on Saturday (June 14, 2025). South Africa defeated defending champion Australia by 5 wickets. DNA samples of six Ahmedabad plane crash victims match, bodies to be handed over to kin DNA samples of six victims of the crash of an Ahmedabad-flagged Air India flight, bound to London, were matched, and the bodies were decided to be handed over to their kin. Air India confirmed that 241 out of 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft died in the tragic crash of the Ahmedabad-London flight. Israel military says 7 soldiers wounded in overnight Iran missile strike Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday (June 13, 2025), deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists — a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. NEET UG 2025: Males in top 4, but females make almost 60% of total qualified The NEET UG 2025 results show that the first four toppers are male, and the fifth topper is a female candidate. Overall, though, female candidates outnumber male candidates in registration and qualifier numbers. It is the third gender candidates who remain underrepresented, with only six qualified this year. Safety checks completed for 9 Boeing 787 Dreamliners; checks may result in flight delays: Air India Air India on Saturday (June 14, 2025) said it has done one-time safety checks on nine of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and is on track to complete the checks on the remaining 24 such planes as directed by aviation regulator DGCA. In the wake of the fatal crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12, 2025), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday ordered enhanced safety checks of the aircraft fleet. Mangani Lal Mandal poised to take charge as Bihar RJD chief Veteran socialist leader Mangani Lal Mandal, 76, on Saturday (June 14, 2025) filed his nomination papers and is poised to become the new State president of the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav accompanied Mr. Mandal during the submission of his nomination at the party headquarters. Pahalgam terror attack: Jammu & Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha hands over job letter to wife of pony rider Adil 'The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday (June 14, 2025) provided a job to the wife of Adil Shah, a local pony ride operator who was killed in the April 22 Pahalgam attack while battling with terrorists,' officials said. Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha handed over the appointment letter to Adil Shah's wife Gulnaz Akhter at their house in the Hapatnar area of Pahalgam in Anantnag district. Goal to end AIDS by 2030 'more off-track' after Trump cuts, UNAIDS head says Donald Trump's cuts to HIV/AIDS programmes will further derail an already faltering plan to end the disease as a public health threat by 2030, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said on Friday, June 13, 2025. With 1.3 million new infections in 2023, according to the latest data, the world was already 'off track,' Ms. Byanyima told journalists in South Africa, a country with the world's largest number of people living with HIV, at 8 million. Bihar train accident: Failure to detect flaws promptly caused derailment in October 2023, says CRS probe 'The failure to detect the flaws in the rail promptly caused the derailment of the North-East Express at Raghunathpur Station in Danapur Division of East Central Railway on October 11, 2023,' said a final investigation report by Suvomoy Mitra, then Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) (Eastern Circle). At least four people were killed and several others were injured in the accident in Bihar's Buxar district. Hizb-ut-Tahrir terror case: NIA conducts searches in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has raided multiple locations in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Jhalawar in Rajasthan in a terror conspiracy case related to the banned outfit, the Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT). 'Three locations were extensively searched in Bhopal and two in Jhalawar as part of the agency's continuing probe into the activities of HuT and its members in the case,' said the agency, adding that the case was registered in 2023. Tata Group to give ₹1 crore compensation to families of persons killed in plane crash: AI CEO Air India parent Tata Group will pay ₹1 crore to the families of persons killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash, besides covering the medical expenses of those injured, the carrier's MD and CEO Campbell Wilson said. In a message shared on the official handle of Air India on X, Campbell said that while everyone at Air India is devastated by this loss and grieves for those affected, the airline has moved 100 caregivers and 40 engineering staff to Ahmedabad.
India Today
16 minutes ago
- India Today
Forget the divide, celebrate WTC win as one: Temba Bavuma's message to South Africa
Temba Bavuma didn't punch the air in delight. He didn't join the rest of his teammates as they sprinted onto the field at Lord's, London. The South African captain instead remained on the Lord's balcony, moments after the winning run was struck. He stood still, soaking in the emotions as South Africa clinched the World Test Championship Final, ending a 27-year-long wait. It was the pinnacle of his Test career – arguably the most significant moment in South Africa's cricketing he finally emerged to collect the Test mace, the Lord's crowd reserved its loudest cheer for Temba Bavuma. He had taken South Africa where no other man had: to a major ICC trophy. The occasion was made even more meaningful by the years of near-misses that preceded it, and by the fact that it came under the leadership of the country's first-ever black African captain. It was a moment of reckoning — a message from Bavuma and his team to a nation still marked by the shadows of its racial Final Report | Highlights With the poise of a leader who had fought for more than just a trophy, Bavuma offered a heartfelt message to his fellow South Africans.'I mean, us as a team, you know, we got ourselves into the final. There were doubters as to the route that we took – supposedly playing weaker teams. We're happy that we were able to perform our best, and hopefully that kind of squashes I think for us as a country, you know, here's an opportunity for us to – as divided as we are at times – to forget all of that, rejoice in this moment, and just be one. You know, I'm sure the people back home will be celebrating it with us, and you can trust that we'll be celebrating it,' Bavuma done it! South Africa are WTC Champions!27 years of waiting ends in gloryA moment for the ages and for every fan who never stopped believing#SouthAfrica #WTCFinal Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 14, 2025South Africa, like Bavuma, silenced the doubters. Questions had been raised about the legitimacy of their place in the World Test Championship Final, despite finishing at the top of the standings. They played fewer matches than India, Australia and England, and critics argued that their victories came against lesser opponents. But on the biggest stage, South Africa dismantled serial winners Australia, extinguishing any lingering doubts. For Bavuma, it was a landmark moment in a remarkable journey – the first black African captain of the Proteas becoming the first to lift an ICC his talent, Bavuma has long been scrutinised. His place in the side was questioned, and the 'quota' system was repeatedly highlighted whenever he failed. But he answered his critics with a standout performance in the 2023–25 WTC cycle – scoring 711 runs at an average of 49 and remaining unbeaten as Africa defeated Australia by five wickets, thanks to a sensational fourth-innings century from Aiden Markram and a gritty supporting knock from Bavuma, who battled a hamstring injury to contribute 66. Their successful chase of 282 was the second-highest fourth-innings total ever achieved at Lord's. While the batters rose to the occasion, Kagiso Rabada led the charge with nine wickets, spearheading a youthful pace attack. Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi combined brilliantly to dismiss Australia for just 207 in the second innings, laying the foundation for the historic IS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER: BAVUMABavuma lauded Rabada, declaring him a future Hall of Famer. Rabada entered the final under a cloud, following a drug ban, and questions swirled around whether he was mentally ready to deliver. He responded like a champion.'Yeah, like, KG is a massive player. A couple of days ago, I attended the ICC Hall of Fame inductions. I think, you know, in a couple of years, KG will be one of those came into the game with controversy behind him. He was motivated to do what he needed to do, and, like a champion, he came and did what he did,' Bavuma said.'AIDEN PLAYED IN AIDEN FASHION'He also showered praise on his 'partner in crime', Aiden Markram, who topped the scoring charts in the final with an outstanding 136 in the fourth innings.'Unbelievable. I think a couple of months ago, people were asking why they didn't see him in the team. Stats are important, but character is something people don't always see."A guy like Aiden, you know, he embodies all of that. When you're in the second innings, you've got to stand up, and he did – in true Aiden fashion. Another medal player for has been a big thing for us as a team, and those two guys really carry that,' Bavuma stressed that this triumph is hopefully just the beginning for South Africa. Long teeming with raw talent, the team has finally learnt how to cross the final hurdle – and now, they will be hungrier than Watch
