South Africa eye redemption, Australia chase legacy as WTC final begins at Lord's
Some things happen so regularly that they start to feel like an exception to the rule. Like Roger Federer losing only one grand slam final to a player who was not Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.
Like Real Madrid losing only 3 out of 18 UEFA Champions League finals. Like the Australian men's cricket team losing only 3 out of 13 ICC finals across three formats – ODIs, T20Is and Tests. To think of any other outcome feels like wishful thinking. And then there is this complete opposite to this dominance. Call it underachievement, if you will.
Whether it's the '90s generation in men's professional tennis who could only win two grand slams in comparison to 80 by the players born in the '80s, or Arsenal who have managed to reach just one Champions League (and lost it), or the South African men's cricket team who have reached just two ICC finals -- the Champions Trophy in 1998, which they won and the T20 World Cup in 2024, which they lost to India.
It is this contrast that will be on display when
Temba Bavuma
's South Africa take on Pat Cummins-led Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final starting on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) at Lord's. The Proteas will have their task cut out to achieve the exceptional -- stop the pedigreed Kangaroos from winning their 11th world title, and win a second trophy for themselves.
But Australians are not going to be their only opponents. South Africa will also be fighting against the perceptions that they didn't fairly earn their place in the final, having taken an easier route by playing fewer Tests and against weaker opponents. So much so that the naysayers have started questioning the very format of the WTC, with
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
calling the final as a 'shambles masquerading as a showpiece'.
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'The ICC cannot allow the championship to continue as if designed on the back of a fag packet,' wrote Lawrence Booth, Wisden's editor. Yet, it's the very gripe that underlines the success of the format. The WTC is clearly imperfect with teams playing unequal number of Tests during the two-year cycle – Australia played 19 Tests to South Africa's 12 in the previous cycle, for instance.
But the anomaly is of the making of the socalled big three who never agree to schedule series of adequate length against South Africa or others. If the true purpose of the WTC was really to provide meaning to bilateral
Test cricket
, South Africa's place in the final should be celebrated, rather than whined about.
The moment India lost 0-3 to New Zealand at home in November last year, South Africa's subsequent home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan became vastly meaningful. South Africa's presence, like New Zealand in 2021, gives hope to the world that Test cricket maybe struggling in countries other than India, England and Australia but it hasn't lost charm.
That despite the ever-widening gulf between the haves and have-nots, they can still challenge for the global titles. While Australia are definitely the favourites to defend their title, South Africa are far from sitting ducks. With both sides having concerns in the batting department, the Test will probably be decided by the bowlers.
And South Africa are a good match for Australia with their pace triumvirate of
Kagiso Rabada
, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi being as spiteful as Australia's troika of
Pat Cummins
, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Nathan Lyon may be a more accomplished spinner, but Keshav Maharaj can carry the hopes of his team.
When South Africa step onto the Lord's hallowed turf, they will feel the weight of history and perception on their shoulders. But in the next five days, Bavuma and Co. can shed that weight and prove the doubters wrong while providing a new direction and motivation to the sport in their country.
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SA vs AUS LIVE Score, WTC Final 2025 Day 2: South Africa 121/5 at Lunch; Bedingham fights on after Bavuma departs
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Indian Express
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- Indian Express
Watch: Marnus Labuschagne takes stunning catch to dismiss Temba Bavuma on Day 2 of WTC Final
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India Today
an hour ago
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WTC final live score: South Africa (100 for 5), trail Australia (212) by 112 runs South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne has joined David Bedingham at the crease. The flow of runs has dried up since the dismissal of captain Temba Bavuma. Nathan Lyon has bowled back-to-back maiden overs, while Pat Cummins has conceded just two runs in his last three overs. A moment of brilliance from Labuschagne breaks a promising partnership and hands Australia a crucial breakthrough. It's the skipper vs. skipper battle, and Cummins comes out on top. Bavuma had looked composed and confident at the crease, but his aggressive intent has proved costly. A full delivery outside off tempted him into a drive, but he couldn't keep it down. Labuschagne, stationed at cover, flung himself to his right and pulled off a stunning two-handed catch. A sharp piece of fielding ends Bavuma's innings on 36 off 84 balls (4 fours, 1 six). South Africa now find themselves five wickets down, still trailing by 118 runs — a big blow to their hopes of a first-innings fight. WTC final live score: South Africa (94 for 5), trail Australia (212) by 118 runs Nathan Lyon is into the attack for the first time in the morning. He bowled one over yesterday. Keshav Maharaj got some purchase from this pitch on Day 1. Lyon would be expecting some assistance from this pitch. Will he be the man for Australia to provide a breakthrough in the first session. How will Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham operate against spin here? Will they look to put Lyon under pressure? SIX! What a shot that was. Pat Cummins tries to bounce Temba Bavuma out, but the South Africa captain is ready for it. He stays back and pulls it into the mid-wicket stands. A shot of authority. This is high-quality batting from the South Africa captain, who has successfully shown the way to their batters on how to bat in this situation. 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Australia do have momentum on their side and it will be all about intent from the Proteas on Day 2. Can the captain lead from the front or will the Aussie attack prove to be too much? We're about to find out now. Beau Webster top-scored for the Aussies with 72 runs as they posted 212 runs on the board in the first innings on Wednesday. Webster came in during a tricky period as Australia had lost Travis Head just before lunch with the score at 67 for four. The all-rounder did have a lucky break when South Africa didn't go for a review against him and he paid them pay with his knock off 92 balls. Steve Smith played a gutsy innings of 66 (112) to rescue Australia from an early collapse and helped them reach 212 in their first innings. It was the second successive fifty-plus score for Smith in the WTC final after he scored a match-winning century in the last final played in 2023 against India. 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The Proteas batters have found no answers to Australia's searing pace attack as they could only score 43 runs in 22 overs. Mitchell Starc once again turned up when it mattered most, removing both Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton quickly in the first innings of the WTC Final 2025 against South Africa. The 35-year-old got two early wickets, which turned the tide back in Australia's favour. The quick bowler ended up getting Markram out in the first over with a classic inswinger that ended up crashing onto the stumps. A couple of overs later, Rickelton was his next victim as he got the edge to the slips, with the delivery moving away from the left-handed batter. South Africa have a massive task at hand as they aim to make a comeback in the Test match. Their batters have looked clueless against the formidable pace attack of Australia. Mitchell Starc (2/10), Josh Hazlewood (1/10) and Pat Cummins (1/14) have hunted as a pack and brought the Proteas down to their knees.
