Arjit - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2025Series: ICC World Test Championship Final 2025
Team: South Africa vs Australia
Date: June 11 - June 15, 2025
Reserve Day: June 16, 2025
Time (IST): 3:00 PM (IST)
Stadium: Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England
Broadcaster (India): TV: Star Sports Network
Digital: JioCinema
The wait of cricket lovers is about to end! The final match of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 will be played from June 11 at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground in London. This time the final is between defending champions Australia and first-time finalists South Africa. This match promises to take the dignity and patience of Test cricket to a new level.
The Australian team, which is the champion of the previous edition, has reached the WTC final for the second consecutive time. Under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, the team has performed brilliantly throughout the cycle. At the same time, the South African team led by Temba Bavuma has made their place in the final with their impressive performance. This will be their first WTC final and they are hoping to win their first major ICC trophy in over 25 years.
Australia: Pat Cummins' Australian team is a balanced and experienced unit. They have strong batsmen like Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Travis Head, who are capable of playing big innings. In bowling, the fast trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood can destroy any batting order, while Nathan Lyon will play a key role in the spin department. His record at Lord's ground has also been very good.
South Africa: South Africa, under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, have performed strongly in this WTC cycle. They have solid batsmen like Aiden Markram, David Bedingham and Temba Bavuma himself. Their fast bowling attack, which includes Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen, is one of the best attacks in the world. Keshav Maharaj will be important in the spin department.
Australia has dominated South Africa in Test cricket. Out of a total of 101 Test matches, Australia have won 54, while South Africa have won 26. 21 matches have been drawn. However, in recent years, the matches between the two teams have been very tough, in which a close contest has been seen. In the last 5 matches, both the teams have won 2-2 matches, while one match has been drawn.
The Lord's pitch has traditionally been helpful for fast bowlers. There will be seam and swing in the beginning, and as the match progresses, the pitch may break a bit, which can also help the spinners. The weather can change in England in the month of June, so the possibility of rain also has to be kept in mind, for which a reserve day has also been kept.
Both teams are strong and have match-winning players. Australia has the advantage of experience, as they have played and won the WTC final before. On the other hand, South Africa is a young and energetic team who will be desperate to win their first trophy. The conditions at Lord's might favour the fast bowlers, which both teams have. A tough contest is expected, but considering the experience and Australia's better record at Lord's, Australia seems to have the slight edge.
