The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final will be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground from June 11 to 15, with June 16 reserved as an extra day in case of time lost due to weather. This will be the first-ever WTC final at Lord’s, following New Zealand’s triumph over India in 2021 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, and Australia’s victory over India in 2023 at The Oval, London.
The much-anticipated final will see reigning champions Australia lock horns with South Africa, marking a significant clash between two of the strongest Test-playing nations. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will aim to defend their crown and establish themselves as back-to-back WTC champions. At the same time, South Africa will look to win their first-ever ICC title in any format since the 1998 Champions Trophy.
South Africa and Australia’s Road to the WTC Final
South Africa qualified for the WTC final after an outstanding campaign, winning 8 out of their 12 matches and finishing with a points percentage (PCT) of 69.44. Their performances were driven by a lethal pace attack, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen and some consistent batting displays from Aiden Markram and their captain Temba Bavuma.
Despite losing a couple of key away series, the Proteas dominated at home and secured their place in the Lord’s final, finishing ahead of India (50.00 PCT), England (47.25 PCT), and New Zealand (45.00 PCT).
Australia, under Cummins’ captaincy, continued their stronghold over Test cricket, finishing second with 13 wins from 19 matches and a PCT of 67.54. Massive performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, standout spells from Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, and crucial contributions from Steve Smith and Travis Head highlighted their campaign. Having already clinched the 2023 WTC title with a commanding victory over India, the Aussies now have the chance to become the first team to win back-to-back WTC finals and cement their dominance in Test cricket.
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AB de Villiers on South Africa’s Bowling attack
During a live session on his YouTube channel, former South African captain AB de Villiers weighed in on South Africa’s ideal bowling combination for the WTC final at Lord’s. A fan suggested that the Proteas should go with an all-pace attack consisting of Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Jansen and Wiaan Mulder. However, de Villiers disagreed, stressing the importance of having a specialist spinner, particularly Keshav Maharaj, in the playing XI. De Villiers emphasized that while Rabada, Nortje, and Jansen remain indispensable as fast bowlers, and Mulder provides an extra seam option as an all-rounder, a quality spinner like Maharaj brings balance and control.
“I feel you still need your spinner in the form of Keshav Maharaj, even though you’re playing at Lord’s, which generally doesn’t take a lot of spin. It’s more about controlling game and the pace of the game. You always need a spinner, so I wouldn’t go with an all-out pace attack,” De Villiers said.
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