ICC WTC 2023-25: Gritty South Africa Face Off Against A Mighty Australia In Epic WTC Final

Australia (AUS) and South Africa(SA) are gearing up for the 2025 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, scheduled at Lord’s from June 11. Australia (AUS) are far superior in terms of on-paper strength and experience, which makes them firm favorites. They are also the defending WTC champions. The South Africa(SA) team , meanwhile, lacks big names in the batting department.

 Australia skipper Pat Cummins& Co. will head into the WTC final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Wednesday, June 11, as the favourites. They are the defending champions, having beaten India two years ago at the Kennington Oval in London. Australia and South Africa will mark a high-intensity clash for the first time in whites in three years after topping the WTC cycle between 2023-25 during the final to be held at the ‘home of cricket’ in London this week.

It must be noted that South Africa and Australia have already met once at Lord’s in whites, back in 1912.Australia recorded a comfortable 10-wicket win in that game. Two more Tests were played in that series. While the Aussies recorded an innings win in the Manchester encounter, the Nottingham match ended in a draw. The two teams have not contested in a neutral Test outside this series.

After another two-year cycle, the cricket fraternity comes to a standstill as two behemoths of the red-ball format compete at the Home of Cricket in the quest to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While Australia have a chance to become the first-ever two-time WTC winners, South Africa will look to end their 27-year wait for an ICC title.

Pat Cummins’ defending champs and Temba Bavuma’s rejuvenated red-ball unit emerged as the most consistent sides on the WTC points ladder to book the berth in the summit clash earlier this year. While Australia toppled to India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, South Africa marked their place after consistent runs at home in the last stretch.

AUS vs SA : Previous Performances

Australia started their WTC 2023-2025 campaign in stunning fashion with wins in the first two Ashes Tests in England. However, the Three Lions bounced back strongly to win three out of the last three Tests, and squared the series. However, Australia retained the coveted urn.

Australia’s next assignment was a three-match Test series at home against Pakistan. This turned out to be a one-sided affair as Australia whitewashed the Men in Green 3-0. However, Australia’s following Test assignment wasn’t one they would want to look back at. The defending WTC champions beat the West Indies in Adelaide but suffered a shock defeat in a day-night encounter in Brisbane. The spoils were shared in the two-match series.

Australia went across the Tasman up next to face arch-rivals New Zealand in a two-match Test series. The tourists won the first Test comprehensively by 172 runs in Wellington. However, in the next game, they were in dire straits at 80/5, chasing a target of 279. Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins showed tremendous grit and determination to take the team home. Australia carried the momentum from this win into the Border-Gavaskar series and outclassed India.

Australia managed to defeat the Asian giants at home in a Test series for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The Baggy Greens defeated India 3-1 to reclaim the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years. They also knocked India out of contention for a spot in the WTC final during this series.

Australia rested some of their key players, like Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, for the Sri Lanka tour that followed. Under Steve Smith’s leadership, Australia whitewashed the Lankan Lions 2-0.

Australia road to the finals

• Matches Played: 19
• Wins: 13
• Losses: 4
• Draws: 2
• Points: 154
• PCT: 67.54%

Meanwhile, South Africa had a horrendous start to their WTC campaign. After winning the first Test in Centurion in a two-match series against India, the Proteas suffered three consecutive defeats. The run of losses began with India winning the second Test in Cape Town in just one and a half days. Dean Elgar retired from international cricket, drawing the curtains down after playing 86 Tests for his country.

South Africa faced massive criticism during their subsequent Test series, where they travelled to New Zealand to play two games. Cricket South Africa (CSA) decided against sending its main players as the series coincided with the SA20 competition. A young South African side lost 0-2 to the Kiwis.

South Africa would then head to the West Indies to play a two-match Test series. The first Test in Port of Spain was drawn. However, the visitors returned to winning ways, picking up a tight win by 40 runs in Guyana to take the series 1-0.

Temba Bavuma’s men went to Bangladesh and defeated the Tigers 2-0 with convincing wins in Mirpur and Chattogram. The winning streak stretched to five when South Africa beat Sri Lanka at home by a 2-0 margin. They made light work of the island nation, registering one-sided wins in Durban and Gqeberha.

Their most recent Test assignment was against Pakistan at home. They won the first Test at Centurion by the skin of their teeth. The two-wicket win ensured them a place in the WTC final for the first time. The home side celebrated this achievement with a 10-wicket win in Cape Town to whitewash the Shan Masood & Co in the red-ball series.

South Africa road to the finals

• Matches Played: 12
• Wins: 8
• Losses: 3
• Draws: 1
• Points: 100
• PCT: 69.44%

AUS vs SA : Head to Head

Australia firmly dominate SA as far as the head-to-head record in Tests is concerned. The two sides have clashed in 101 matches, with the Aussies winning 54 of them, as per ESPNcricinfo. While the African side emerged winners 26 times, the remaining 21 games were drawn. The two teams last met in the format in 2022-23. The Aussies rooted SA 2-0 in a three-match series at home.

Matches	101
Won by Australia	54
Won by South Africa	26
Draw	21
No Result	00
First-ever Fixture	October 11–14, 1902
Most-recent Fixture	January 4–January 8, 2023

AUS vs SA : Pitch and Weather Report

The track at the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ usually favors all parties. The pitch ideally will help the pacers but as the innings will progress batters will score runs. As per Steve Smith, spin will be crucial as the match progresses with the track being dry.

147 Tests have been played so far at Lord’s. Team batting first have won 53 games, while teams bowling first have emerged victorious on 43 occasions. The average first-innings score is 310. The highest total recorded is 729, and the lowest is 38. The highest score chased is 344, and the lowest defended is 62. With the ball expected to swing around, and with world-class seamers on both sides, it should be a fascinating contest to witness.

AUS vs SA : Big Picture : South Africa look to end ICC trophy curse but Australia stand in their way

June 17, 1999, Birmingham. World Cup semi-final. One run needed off four balls. Lance Klusener, batting like a dream, has Australia at his mercy, and has reduced them to prayers. This South African team, if they get over the line, will be remembered forever.

Winning seems the easier gig too. But South Africa fluff their lines, floundering and quite literally, falling short, with Allan Donald and Klusener resembling cats on a hot tin roof. And that one run, which could be sensed, felt and perhaps even be touched, floats away into the English horizon.

South Africa , at the cost of a cliché, are perhaps still rummaging for it. They have availed the services of countless world-class players in that pursuit, but it remains elusive, and the Proteas, since that dreaded day in Birmingham, have NOT won an ICC trophy. Over the next few days, that could change.

Those wounds will not heal completely, although South Africa, by virtue of having yet another tilt at the big prize, can strap bandages over it and replace that stinging feeling with something more soothing. But as fate would have it, their road to redemption is blocked by…Australia.

The defending champions may have lost the odd game at home and may have looked a little vulnerable on their most-recent Ashes adventure. But there is no denying their quality or pedigree of winning the moments that matter.

Prior to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the turn of the year, Australia knew they needed a string of wins to confirm their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Despite losing at Perth to India, which led to all sorts of questions and criticisms, they ultimately did it at a canter – beating India 3-1 and then blanking Sri Lanka 2-0, away from home.

Their bowlers have been the bedrock of their surge to the final. Captain Pat Cummins has 73 wickets (the second-most this cycle, only behind Jasprit Bumrah), with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon bagging 72 and 66, respectively. Josh Hazlewood has featured less prominently due to injuries, but remains an out-and-out match-winner across formats.

AUS vs SA : Players in the spotlight : Battle of SA and AUS pace attack

The batting department’s numbers may not be as eye-catching, but Steve Smith, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja have more than 1100 runs each, with Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne also scoring more than 900 runs this cycle. They will, however, be put to the sword by South Africa and Kagiso Rabada. Rabada has not played as many Tests as his Australian counterparts in this period, but averages less than 20, having picked up 47 wickets across ten matches, at a strike rate a shade under 38.

His match-up against Head and Smith, in particular, could be pivotal, given how successful the pair was in the 2023 WTC final. Rabada has a decent record against them too, with Smith averaging 32, having been dismissed four times. Head, meanwhile, strikes at more than 100 against Rabada, but only averages 28, having been dismissed twice.

Usman Khawaja is the leading run-getter for Australia in the ongoing cycle. He has amassed 1422 runs from 37 innings at an average of 41.82. Meanwhile, Cummins (73), Mitchell Starc (72), and Nathan Lyon (66) are second, third, and fourth on the list of leading wicket-takers in the WTC 2023-25 cycle, respectively.

For South Africa, it has been mostly a team effort, with different players putting their hands up in different matches. David Bedingham is the leading run-getter, having scored 645 runs from 21 innings at an average of 33.94. However, skipper Bavuma has been the man in form despite missing five games in the cycle. He has 609 runs from 11 innings at 60.90. On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada has been South Africa’s spearhead, having taken 47 wickets from 10 matches at an average of 19.97.

So, if Rabada can get rid of them cheaply, or exert enough pressure for the others to benefit, South Africa will fancy their chances. Especially if Marco Jansen, an exceptional new-ball bowler, can find assistance and Keshav Maharaj can extract turn later in the game. Not to mention that Rabada, after his recent one-month suspension, will also feel he has a point to prove.

For that, the Proteas will have to put up runs on the board. Their batters are inexperienced but have shown, in a variety of testing conditions, that they can get the job done. Aiden Markram, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder and skipper Temba Bavuma have all scored centuries this cycle, with Bavuma, Rickelton and Mulder averaging in excess of 50.

They will have their work cut out against Australia’s pace troika and Lyon. But if any of them was looking for validation from the cricketing fraternity, well, this is it. Their opportunity to tell the world they can stand up on the biggest of stages, and that they can shed a reputation the Proteas have notoriously become synonymous with.

And so, two and a half decades since being chastened in Birmingham, South Africa will have their shot at salvation. Their chance to exorcize past ghosts and to definitively make it right. At arguably the most iconic venue in the sport, just a hundred miles away from the bone-chilling heartbreak of 1999, but potentially a lifetime and a world apart on the spectrum of emotions.

AUS vs SA : Vital Stats that matters

• David Bedingham was SA’s highest run-scorer in this cycle, having mustered 645 runs at 33.94.
• Temba Bavuma (609 at 60.90) and Aiden Markram (572 at 33.64) are the other Proteas stars with at least 550 runs.
• Coming to the bowling department, Kagiso Rabada took 47 wickets at a sensational average of 19.97.
• With 40 scalps at 20.57, Keshav Maharaj  trails him. Marco Jansen (29 at 20.82) was the other South African with 25-plus wickets.
• While Usman Khawaja (1,422 at 41.82) topped the run-scoring charts for the Aussies in this cycle, Smith (1,324 at 41.37) and Travis Head (1,177 at 35.66) were the others with 1,000-plus runs.
• As far as the bowling department is concerned, three of the top-four leading wicket-takers in this cycle are Australians. Pat Cummins (73 at 24.54) and Mitchell Starc (72 at 27.27) formed a deadly pair. Nathan Lyon registered 66 scalps at 24.

AUS vs SA : Team News for Australia and South Africa

Australia

Australia are likely to have Marnus Labuschagne opening the batting with Usman Khawaja after it has been confirmed that Travis Head will move back to the middle-order. Meanwhile, Cameron Green has returned to the side after undergoing back surgery earlier this year. He is expected to play as a specialist batter.

Though Australia boast prominent names across all departments, their batting line-up is far from settled. Usman Khawaja recently hinted that the out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne might open alongside him. This means Cameron Green is all but likely to take the number three spot. While Beau Webster would be the lone all-rounder, Josh Hazlewood should pip Scott Boland for a spot in the XI.

Australia Predicted Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey (WK), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa

South Africa’s bowling department looks much stronger than its batting. It will be interesting to see whether they back all-rounder Wiaan Mulder to bat at No. 3 or bring in specialist batter Tony de Zorzi in the line-up. However, the second option will leave the Proteas with four frontline bowlers, and Aiden Markram will have to roll his arm over if and when the seamers need a breather.

Three of SA’s potential top-five batters – Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, and David Bedingham – have played under 15 Tests. This puts extra responsibility on the likes of Aiden Markram and skipper Temba Bavuma. Hence, a lot wil depend upon their bowlers. Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi are likely to form a solid pace attack.

South Africa Predicted Playing XI : Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (C), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

AUS vs SA Fantasy Playing XI : Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (C), Josh Hazlewood, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen,Kagiso Rabada,Ryan Rickelton

AUS vs SA : Key battles to watch out for in the finale

Aiden Markram vs Mitchell Starc

South Africa’s T20I captain Aiden Markram, who will open the innings in this important game, will face the challenge of left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc with the new ball. Both players, who are in good form, having scored runs and picked up wickets respectively in the recently concluded IPL, will look to put pressure on the other early in the game.

Temba Bavuma vs Josh Hazlewood

The South African captain Temba Bavuma, would like to lead from the front in the ultimate clash with the WTC title at stake.Bavuma will have to deal with the control of Josh Hazlewood, who has been in good form in white ball cricket in the last couple of months and will look to bring that into the summit clash.

Steve Smith vs Marco Jansen

The battle between Steve Smith and Maco Jansen promises to be a mouth-watering one, with both known for not giving an inch on the field. Smith is a proven match-winner, while Marco Jansen has also made a name for himself as an aggressive fast bowler in a short span of time.

Travis Head vs Kagiso Rabada

Travis Head, who proved to be the game changer in the final of the last WTC edition, will be raring to go to help Australia defend their title and win it for the second time in a row. Head will need to tackle the pace of Rabada, who will play a vital role in the match as South Africa’s most experienced bowler in the fast bowling department.

AUS vs SA : Match Prediction

The ICC recently announced a whopping increase in the prize money for the WTC finalists. The champions will take home USD $3.6 million, over double the amount of USD $1.6 million awarded in both 2021 and 2023. The runners-up will earn USD $2.16 million, up from USD $800,000.

South Africa have been here before, and they know better than anyone else that nothing, at this stage, can be taken for granted. But after all the teasing and trembling of yore, especially in front of final frontiers, they will also recognize the need and the necessity for a steely display. All while Australia prance and prowl in their preferred habitat.

And in this year/season of barren streaks being snapped and of trophy thirsts being quenched, it feels poetic that South Africa, of all possible permutations and combinations, are back in the country where this sequence – of coming close but not ending up with the cigar – began. Face to face with the foe that foiled them more than 25 years ago.

History, of course, cannot be tweaked. Nor can it be altered. But this could be a watershed moment in itself. For the present and the future. A game that could define a generation of South African cricketers, and immortalize them. A match that could, considering where it is, and given who it is against, inject so much belief into Protean veins that they will feel they have the world at their feet, all over again.

That was what that afternoon in Birmingham was meant and supposed to be. And that, South Africa will hope, is what these next few days in London are.

South Africa would like to win the WTC final 2025 and clinch their second major ICC title, having won the Champions Trophy in 1998. Australia, on the other hand, would play to defend their crown after winning the final of the last edition in 2023 against India.

Also Read: ICC WTC 2023-25: “We Are Playing For A Trophy”- Mark Boucher’s Direct Jibe Ahead Of Final