Updated 11 June 2025 at 15:28 IST
Australia will aim to defend their World Test Championship title when they take on South Africa at Lord's Cricket Ground. Both teams have had their fair share of struggles during the ongoing WTC cycle and it will be an even matchup between the two best sides.
South Africa will feel the burden of the pressure as an ICC title awaits them after a prolonged wait. They endured disappointment in the last few ICC events and came agonisingly close in the T20 World Cup last year. Temba Bavuma could be a part of cricket history, but beating Australia in the final of an ICC tournament won't be a walk in the park.
For Australia, they need to tick the boxes right. Marnus Labuschagne has been given the task of opening the batting with Usman Khawaja and this will be the first instance when he will bat at the top of the batting order in Test cricket. Josh Hazlewood has got the nod over Scott Boland and the RCB fast bowler could be tricky to handle given his controlled line and length.
Ahead of the WTC final, AI chatbot Grok has predicted the outcome of the WTC final between Australia and South Africa. It hasn't predicted an outright winner but has given an edge to Australia due to their performance in ICC events.
“Without definitive data on the outcome, I’d lean slightly toward Australia due to their championship pedigree and familiarity with high-stakes finals, but South Africa’s form makes them a strong contender.”
English conditions generally suit fast bowlers with the ability to swing, but a dry summer could see spinners getting some assistance from the surface. Both teams have Nathan Lyon and Keshav Maharaj in their ranks, respectively, and it will be interesting to see how things fare in the near future.
Also Read: ICC WTC Final 2025 Live, SA vs AUS, Day 1
South Africa starting XI: Aiden Markram, 2. Ryan Rickelton, 3. Wiaan Mulder, 4. Temba Bavuma (c), 5. Tristan Stubbs, 6. David Bedingham, 7. Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8. Marco Jansen, 9. Keshav Maharaj, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Lungi Ngidi.
Australia Starting XI: 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Marnus Labuschagne, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Travis Head, 6. Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood.
Published 11 June 2025 at 15:08 IST