WTC player ratings: From the captain's heroics, to a batting failure that could re-shape the order
The Tasmanian all-rounder continues to impress in a range of scenarios with the bat, the ball and in the field. Australia's first innings would have been far worse without him, even if Webster made a scratchy start. He was less successful in the second innings, but deserves to keep his place in the West Indies.
Josh Hazlewood: 6
The ever-reliable Hazlewood bowled solidly in each innings without quite looking to be at his best. He helped Starc add priceless runs to give South Africa a trickier chase than they might otherwise have had.
Alex Carey: 6
The keeper-batsman dropped a catch he would have expected to snaffle on the first evening, though it wasn't overlay costly. But he made critical runs on the second evening to lift Australia out of the mire at 7-73 and otherwise kept tidily.
Nathan Lyon: 4
'The GOAT' bowled serviceably without results. Lyon might have had more success had he been switched around to bowl into the footmarks at the Nursery End a little earlier in South Africa's chase, but he also allowed the Proteas to play him too often off the back foot.
Marnus Labuschagne: 4
Labuschagne was drafted up to open, and hinted at promise in both innings before flirting outside off stump twice to keep his Test place very much open to question. He fielded well with plenty of energy. Should he be dropped, there is still plenty of time for the 30-year-old to return.
Travis Head: 3
The aggressive left-hander played in typical fashion without his usual effect, glancing down the leg side in the first innings and then getting bowled by a nip-backer in the second. He wasn't afforded much of a buffer from the new ball by the top order. He also pulled off a sharp run out.
Usman Khawaja: 2
The 38-year-old veteran was well beaten by Kagiso Rabada in both innings and showed a few signs of struggles, such as missing or mistiming his pet pull shot. He wants to keep playing through to the end of the Ashes, but needs a complementary opening partner.
Cameron Green: 1
Green's long stint in county cricket reaped plenty of runs but not much preparation for the class of Rabada on a seaming surface. He's a gifted batter but may not be the answer at number three, particularly once he returns to the bowling crease.

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7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Pat Cummins flags ‘reset' after Australia's top-order capitulation in World Test Championship final
Captain Pat Cummins acknowledges Australia will undergo a 'reset' after another top-order capitulation opened the door for a South African upset for the ages. Not having lost a ICC final since 2010, Australia were upstaged by Temba Bavuma's fighting Proteas at Lord's, a five-wicket defeat crushing their hopes of defending the World Test Championship title they won in 2023. Australia's batting woes were laid bare, particularly in the second innings when only plucky knocks from star quick Mitchell Starc and wicketkeeper Alex Carey saved the No.1-ranked team from utter embarrassment. Batting conditions became ideal at the start of day three when the sun came out, the pitch was suddenly flat, and pace bowlers struggled for the movement they got in the first innings. But it was too late for the Australians, who were already 8-144 to start Friday, a lead of only 212. 'There's probably quite a few people in the line-up that wish they could have done a little bit more,' Cummins said. 'Obviously, the top three was an obvious one in this game.' Promoted from No.3 to open in a Test for the first time, struggling Marnus Labuschagne got starts, but ultimately only made 17 and 22 to extend his century drought to almost 24 months. Labuschagne's opening partner, 38-year-old Usman Khawaja, was again exposed against express pace after falling to Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada for scores of 0 and 7. Khawaja made a career-best 232 on slow pitches in Sri Lanka earlier this year, but his recent history against quality fast bowlers is a concern. Cameron Green, who batted at No.3 in his first Test since March 2024 after recovering from back surgery, was also troubled by Rabada and was out for 4 and 0. Green, aged 26, was the only member of the Australian XI in his 20s in this Test. But after suffering a compound dislocation of his right little finger at Lord's, star No.4 Steve Smith is almost no chance to play in at least the first Test against the West Indies. Teenage tyro Sam Konstas, who announced himself last Boxing Day, is set to be given an opportunity as opener for Australia's first tour of the Caribbean in 10 years. If Smith can't play, Konstas could slot back in to open with Usman Khawaja, while Labuschagne would likely drop down to No.3. But Josh Inglis, who scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, is also in the squad and could be given a chance. 'In white-ball series a lot of the time, you build on four-year cycles around World Cups for ODIs,' Cummins said. 'Maybe it's an opportunity in the Test matches to do something similar. But it's a little bit early to tell. 'Coming into this match, you've got guys like Sam Konstas and Scotty Boland, Josh Inglis, all those guys who are right on the fringes. 'After this Test match, everyone gets thrown back into the conversation, and it's a little bit of a reset for the first Test against the West Indies. 'Give it a 48 hours, everyone kind of digests and works out if we keep the same squad.'

The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
Cummins hits team reset button after Australia fail at Lord's
London: As Australia fought to string out the final day of their failed World Test Championship bid against South Africa, they were also raging against the dying of the light for numerous members of the team. Skipper Pat Cummins and his fellow bowlers tried everything to induce one more 'choke' from the Proteas, to the point of a few verbal rejoinders reminding Aiden Markram (136) and Temba Bavuma (66) of their side's history. These exchanges added to the drama of the final day, as the Proteas chased down 282 to forge a five-wicket victory and win the adulation of a huge South African turnout at Lord's. Where the end of the 2023 Ashes Test here had arrived amid ugly scenes of crowd abuse, this time it was unconfined joy for the 'Rainbow nation'. By bowling tightly and slowing South Africa down, Cummins was effectively praying for a miracle from the second new ball, or a change in the weather, to bring salvation. 'It was kind of just draw it out as long as we can, try and for the pace bowlers, just try and go for two runs an over,' he said. '[Nathan] Lyon was looking really likely and you never know, maybe some clouds come over, maybe a new ball does something different, just try to string it out as more and more nerves play into it as well.' Cummins also burned through his three reviews in quick time, for a couple of speculative lbw appeals either side of a possible strangle down the leg side. That meant there were none left for a couple far more legitimate shouts against nervous number seven Kyle Verreynne, who ultimately carved the winning runs to the cover boundary. Loading That moment ended the WTC cycle for Australia in the knowledge that several players in the side may well be out of it by the time the next championship ends in 2027. Top of that list is Marnus Labuschagne, who looks highly likely to lose his place to Sam Konstas in the West Indies. After that, 38-year-old Usman Khawaja cannot be expected to keep playing beyond the end of the home Ashes series this summer, and he will need to find better and more proactive ways to combat top-class pace bowling if he is to get even that far.

News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Dreaded' sledge revealed as Australia burned in World Test Championship final
South African captain Temba Bavuma has revealed one of Australia's players tried getting in his head with the dreaded 'chokers' tag on day four of the World Test Championship final at Lord's. The Proteas defeated reigning champions Australia by five wickets at the home of cricket courtesy of a career-defining century from opener Aiden Markram, ending a 27-year trophy drought for the rainbow nation. The South Africans have become renowned as perennial chokers in ICC events, losing nine semi-finals in nine attempts across World Cups and Champions Trophy tournaments since 1999. Speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference on Sunday, Bavuma confirmed one of Australia's players reminded him of South Africa's record in ICC knockouts, prefacing there 'wasn't a lot of chatter' out on the field. 'The tag of us being chokers, that came about this morning,' Bavuma recalled. 'One of their players threw out the fact we could still get bowled out ... I definitely heard that.' In another interview, Bavuma added: 'Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, 'choke'. 'It's been years since we've overcome a final, we've been etched in history, we're part of something that has never been done. It's special in a lot of ways.' Asked about the chokers sledge, Markram responded: 'It will be great to not have to hear it again, that's for sure.' The Proteas had plenty of demons to conquer on Day 3 with the memory of choking yet again still fresh from last year's loss to India in the T20 World Cup. South Africa's women's side also fell short in the final of both the 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cups to add to the heartbreak. 'It's not just that they've never won one,' Mel Jones said during the first session on Prime Video. 'They've been in so many commanding positions, year after year, in such a wide range of events, from the Champions Trophy to the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup. 'Apologies to the South Africans listening, I don't want to take you down a horrendous trail, but I think this is why so many have come today, it's history in the making. 'I reckon there's even some Aussies there going 'we wouldn't mind'.' We're not so sure about that one, Mel, Aussie cricket fans are greedy and pretty accustomed to success. But this South African team under coach Shukri Conrad and diminutive, combative skipper Bavuma, finally has its crowning moment. Pat Cummins' team came into the match as heavy favourites, but serious question marks will now be asked about his ageing side as the Proteas eagerly snatched the WTC Mace from the defending champions. Resuming on 2/213 in their second innings on Saturday, needing just 69 runs to win, South Africa lost skipper Temba Bavuma (66) early in the day but still had few troubles chasing down the 282-run total in a momentous win for the perennial bridesmaids. Opener Aiden Markram's (136) match-winning knock ended with just six runs required, but South Africa still marched to the biggest title in their long cricketing history. Australia's Steve Smith, sidelined by a gruesome finger injury for the final day, is still in imperious form at the age of 36. But the heavy defeat means fellow veterans Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will now be under even more scrutiny, with the likes of Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis waiting in the wings. Cummins said his side had been faced with a 'bridge too far' after failing to capitalise on its first innings lead. 'Things can change pretty quickly,' said Cummins at the post-match presentation ceremony. 'Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far.' Smith's first-innings 66 was the only score of fifty or more in the match by a specialist Australia batsman. Smith, however, suffered a dislocated finger while dropping a slip catch and is now doubtful for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados on June 25. Australia, now at the start of a new WTC cycle, may have to review their batting options more broadly, with Marnus Labuschagne who averaged a lowly 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season, out for 17 and 22 at Lord's after being promoted to open the innings. 'We've got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we'll sit down and have a bit of a think,' said Cummins. 'To make these finals, it's normally off the back of being really strong at home, but you've got to win some away series too,' he later told reporters at a post-match press conference. 'So, in some ways, it's good we get to dust ourselves off and turn around in a couple of weeks and start looking ahead to the next one. 'That's one of the good things about the World Test Championship, every Test series and every Test match feels like you're playing for something significant.'