The stage is set for a thrilling World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s. Australia was asked to bat first and managed a modest 212 runs. Beau Webster top-scored with 72, while Steve Smith chipped in with 66. For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada took 5 wickets to put his team in the driver’s seat.
Low-scoring affair on the cards
The pattern at Lord’s suggests this could be a low-scoring game. But what about the fourth innings? How big a target can a team chase here? The largest successful chase at Lord’s is 344 runs, achieved by the West Indies against England in 1984.
Chasing at Lord’s: a tough task
In fact, the West Indies is the only team to have chased down over 300 runs at this iconic venue. For Australia, the highest successful chase at Lord’s is a mere 131 runs, way back in 1921 against England. On the other hand, England successfully chased 279 runs against New Zealand in 2022.
South Africa will be batting in the fourth innings, and their record at Lord’s is not impressive. They’ve managed just one win while chasing, beating England by 10 wickets in 1998. Apart from the West Indies, no other team has successfully chased 200 or more runs in the fourth innings at Lord’s.
Out of 147 Tests played at Lord’s, the team batting first has won 53 times, while the chasing team has won 43 times. This sets the stage for an exciting finale to the World Test Championship. Can South Africa defy the odds and make history at Lord’s? The world will be watching.