Australia are set to clash with South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final starting on Wednesday, 11 June at the Lord's Cricket Stadium in England. (Streaming | Preview)
The Pat Cummins-led Australian outfit is the defending champions of the WTC, and they will try to become the first team to retain the championship. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC final in 2021.
This is the first time that South Africa have reached the final of the WTC. They finished second on the points table and now, the Temba Bavuma-led Proteas will try to win their major ICC trophy after 1998 (Champions Trophy).
South Africa have won the ICC Test Championship Mace three times before, but it is the first occasion that they are so close to winning that again after the inception of the WTC in 2019.
Australia Vs South Africa, WTC Final 2025 - Full Squads
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne
As both teams prepare for the WTC final 2025, let's take a look at the key player battles to watch out for in the match
1. Temba Bavuma vs Pat Cummins
In the clash of the captains, Temba Bavuma of South Africa is ready to take on Pat Cummins of Australia when the two big teams clash in the final of the World Test Championship 2025. Both players are very experienced and have played a lot of Test cricket in England. Cummins has an upper hand as the pitch at Lord's is expected to favour the seamers. But Bavuma would use his experience to play an impactful knock in the final and charge against Cummins.
2. Travis Head vs Kagiso Rabada
Travis Head likes to perform at big stages, and he has done that on multiple occasions. He is in top form and will try to repeat the same he did in the WTC Final 2023 against India. He is well aware of the conditions in England and likes to play seam bowlers. Kagiso Rabada has sheer pace and would come up with plans to counter Head in the must-win game. He has done well against Travis and will rely on his pace to prove crucial against the Australian batter.
3. Ryan Rickelton vs Josh Hazlewood
Both batters are coming after a dream run at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where Hazlewood's team, RCB, won the title for the first time. Both are in the prime form of their careers. Rickelton will come to open the innings for South Africa, and Hazlewood is expected to be a problem for him. Australian tall bowler has done well and has now lost a final in his career. He will surely come up with a plan against the Proteas opener.
