Key events
Temba Bavuma has taken a wonderful and winding path to the WTC final after being the first black South African to be selected as a Test batter in 2017 and then breaking more new ground when named captain six years later. The South Africa skipper also spoke with Donald McRae.
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? Do I deserve this opportunity? I always felt the need to prove myself.
Pat Cummins will lead Australia into a second successive WTC final as he returns to Lord’s for a first Test at the venue since a certain dismissal during the last Ashes series largely divided opinion down national lines. The Australia skipper caught up with Donald McRae to talk about making his Test debut in South Africa, taking on the captaincy, and facing the Proteas again with a world title on the line.
There was a lot of trepidation. One, because I was uncertain how I was going to go as a captain. I didn’t really have any experience. But also trepidation because it’s a big role and things can turn against you overnight. Part of me thought: ‘Maybe captaincy isn’t for me.’ But there’re enough great parts of the job I really enjoy.
The World Test Championship mace is up for grabs for just the third time with Australia out to become the first side to defend their crown. But there is also a deep pool of prize money waiting for both finalists, though much of the spoils will of course go to the winner at Lord’s.
The champions will walk away with a cool USD $3.6m (more than double the $1.6m that was awarded to the winners in both 2021 and 2023), while the runners-up will pocket USD $2.16m.
If you need a primer or just some background on what to expect in the first WTC final at Lord’s, I’ve penned a few words to help set the scene. Take in all you need to know about the recent history for both teams at the iconic venue, why Australia landed on their eventual XI, and how South Africa found a back road through the two-year cycle to Lord’s – and what they can do to make the most of their somewhat surprising appearance.
South Africa XI
Ryan Rickleton, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
South Africa stick with a more familiar lineup as all-rounder Wiaan Mulder returns to first drop after being trialled there against Sri Lanka and Pakistan around the turn of the year. Lungi Ngidi is backed to bring his experience to the pace attack alongside Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen with Dane Paterson the unlucky quick to miss out.
Australia XI
Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
It has been hinted at for weeks, if not months, but even after being confirmed with the Australia team news dropping overnight, it still looks out of place – Marnus Labuschagne will open in a Test for the first time.
Cameron Green slots back in at No 3 for his first Test in more than a year after undergoing back surgery that ruled him out of the entire Australian summer. The all-rounder is not yet able to bowl but is being backed to bat in the prime position after a successful stint with Gloucestershire that includes a pair of tons in his two most recent County Championship matches.
Australia’s other selection dilemma was around the pace attack where the fit-again Josh Hazlewood is preferred to Scott Boland, in a reversal of fortunes compared to the WTC final against India two years ago.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first day of the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa.
The ICC’s red-ball showcase might still be some distance short of becoming the pinnacle of the format but the hype will be real once Australia and South Africa step onto Lord’s to renew their one-time fierce rivalry. Australia are out to become the first side to retain the title (which, admittedly, will only be awarded for the third time), while South Africa have more than just silverware – in this case, the WTC mace – on the line after three decades of pain and suffering at the pointy end of global cricket tournaments.
South Africa secured their place in the decider – somewhat surprisingly – as the No 1 side across the two-year WTC cycle. The Proteas arguably made the most of a friendly fixture as they avoided crossing paths with the defending champions, as well as England, and only faced two-time runners-up India in a tied home series. But they could now respond to the critics of their path to the final in the most satisfying way.
South Africa have in fact only met their old foes Australia in a single Test series – for three matches away in 2022-23 – in the past seven years, in one of all too many signs of the ever-widening divide that now exists between cricket’s “Big Three” and the remainder of the Test-playing nations. But the winner-takes-all WTC final at Lord’s feels like neither the time nor the place to be laying out all that has gone wrong with the purists’ preferred format, especially with play due to start in an hour.
First ball will be at 10.30am local time or 7.30pm AEST / 11.30am SAST. The toss will take place 30 minutes before that. I’ll be seeing us through to drinks in the second session, when the tone will inevitably shift as self-confessed South Africa tragic, Dan Gallan, takes the reins.
Get in touch with any comments, questions, thoughts and predictions – shoot me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
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