The World Test Championship final is set to kick off on June 11, 2025, featuring Australia taking on South Africa. Here’s what you need to know:
When and Where?
– Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
- Date: Starts June 11, 2025
Which Teams?
- Australia: The defending champions and this will be their second WTC final.
- South Africa: They’re making their first appearance in a WTC final.
How to Watch?
- In Australia: You can catch it on Prime Video, which has exclusive rights to ICC events from 2024 to 2027. It’s free for Prime members or you can try it out with a 30-day free trial.
- In India:Fans can watch the final live on the Star Sports Network or stream it on Disney+ Hotstar. Commentary will be available in English, Hindi, and other regional languages.
Key Storylines:
- Australia:
- Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are back from injury.
– They have some tough choices to make regarding the bowlers and the middle order.
South Africa:
- They’ve won seven straight Tests.
- Their squad looks strong despite earlier sending a B-team to New Zealand.
- Kagiso Rabada is back after his suspension.
- Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham have returned from injuries.
Head-to-Head at Lord’s:
– Australia:* They’ve not lost in their last three Tests at Lord’s since 2015.
-South Africa: They’ve managed to win two of their last three Tests at Lord’s, including one in 2022.
What If the Match Ends in a Draw or is Abandoned?
- The outcome would be joint winners, meaning both teams would be declared champions.
Officiating Team:
- Chris Gaffaney from New Zealand and Richard Illingworth from England will be the match officials, both having officiated the last WTC final as well. Richard Kettleborough will be the third umpire, and Nitin Menon from India will be making his debut as the fourth umpire.
What Ball is Being Used?
- The Dukes ball will be used again at Lord’s, just like in the previous WTC finals.
Squads:
- Australia: Pat Cummins (c), 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:
-Temba Bavuma (c), 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.
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