The stage is set for a thrilling showdown between South Africa and Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final. Led by captains Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins, both teams boast lethal bowling attacks, but it’s the team that performs better in the final that will take home the trophy. The match will be played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
This is Australia’s second consecutive appearance in the Test Championship final, having defeated India in the previous cycle’s final. Under Cummins’ leadership, the team has won 13 out of 19 matches in this cycle. South Africa, on the other hand, has won 8 out of 12 matches and topped the points table.
Lord’s Pitch Report
Lord’s has hosted 147 Test matches so far, with the team batting first winning 53 times and the team bowling first winning 43 times. A total of 51 matches have ended in a draw. The highest score at Lord’s is 729, achieved by Australia against England in 1930. The highest individual score is 333, made by England’s Graham Gooch in 1990.
The weather forecast for the match days, June 11-15, indicates overcast conditions with a chance of rain. The pitch is expected to be bouncy, favoring fast bowlers. The ball is likely to swing, making it challenging for batsmen to score. However, if they can negotiate the bouncing balls, they can capitalise on the quick outfield to score runs.
Team Lineups
South Africa’s squad includes Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dean Paterson, Keshav Maharaj, and Senuran Muthusamy.
Australia’s squad features Usman Khawaja, Sam Considine, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, and Matt Kuhnemann.
Live Broadcast and Streaming
The ICC World Test Championship final will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network in India. The match can also be live-streamed on the JioHotstar website and app. The match is scheduled to start on June 11 and will conclude on June 15, with June 16 reserved as a backup day. The match will begin at 3:30 PM IST.