Australia, the defending champions, will face South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. This crucial match will take place at the legendary Lord’s Stadium starting on Wednesday, June 11.
The Australians had to travel a difficult path to the final. Pat Cummins and his team drew 2-2 with England away from home, keeping the Ashes urn. They later defeated India 3-1 at home in the series. Their spot in the final was assured by their victory against India in the last Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia finished second in the WTC standings with 13 victories from 19 games.
South Africa, on the other hand, has had a subpar start to their World Cup campaign, with only one win in five Tests. They finished first in the table with eight wins in 12 Test matches, though, after winning seven straight games. The Proteas will try to bring home the trophy on their first appearance in the World Test Championship final.
Over the next five days, there will be several matches in the high-stakes showdown, and we examine three that have the potential to alter the outcome of the Test:
1. Steve Smith vs Kagiso Rabada
The former Australian captain has been instrumental in guiding the squad to the final. With 1324 runs at an average of 41.37 in 19 Test matches, including five hundreds and four fifties, Steve Smith is the sixth-highest run scorer in the competition.
Steve Smith hit a match-winning hundred (121) in the WTC 2023 final against India at the Oval and will attempt to replicate his heroics. Kagiso Rabada, a pacer from South Africa, might pose a threat to Smith, though.
Rabada, who has taken 47 wickets in this WTC, will give it his all in the final as his team looks to win their first ICC championship. He is typically the one to step up on important times, and he will be tasked with keeping Smith quiet.
In red-ball cricket, Smith has amassed 128 runs in 262 deliveries, including 16 boundaries and two sixes, while the Proteas fast has dismissed him four times.
2. Temba Bavuma vs Josh Hazlewood
The South African captain has been at the forefront WTC 2023-25, scoring 609 runs in seven matches with an average of 60.90, two centuries, and four fifties.
Their success or failure to win the trophy will majorly be determined by the performance of Bavuma with the bat in the next five days. The right-handed batsman though will need to neutralise the threat of Josh Hazlewood who has already taken him twice to the tune of 118 runs.
Hazlewood has just won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 trophy with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and will be full of confidence in his baggage as he comes to Lord’s. The right-arm pace bowler has enjoyed a superb tournament taking 57 wickets in 13 matches and he would want to sign off on a high note by helping Australia win the title second consecutive time.
3. Tristan Stubbs vs Nathan Lyon
South Africa’s middle order relies heavily on the hard-hitting kid. His aggressive style of play helps his team score runs quickly while unsettling the opposing bowlers.
After a stellar IPL 2025 season, Tristan Stubbs will be brimming with confidence, but facing Nathan Lyon will be a whole other ballgame. With 66 scalps during the competition, the cunning off-spinner has established himself as maybe the finest in the business.
Lyon will greatly benefit from Steve Smith’s previous suggestion that the Lord’s wicket would suit spinners. According to the ICC, he said to reporters:
“Yeah, I think spin will play a big part, particularly as the game wears on. It is dry, I think. The reports, we only came here a week ago. So, it’s pretty dry to start the season over here.”
This will be one of the most significant duels to watch in the WTC final after Smith’s pre-match comments.
