World Test Championship Final 2025: Australia vs South Africa at Lord’s – Match Preview & Predictions
The cricketing cosmos is about to explode into a supernova of thrill as Australia and South Africa will square off in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The match will take place from June 11 – 15, with June 16 as a reserve day, and it will be a spectacle of skill, strategy, and passion.
Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground
Lord’s, also known as the “Home of Cricket,” has a pitch which typically provides seam and swing bowlers a great opportunity, especially in overcast conditions. The first few hours should offer some lateral movement, so it will be important for both teams to make the most of the fresh conditions. As the air warms to the pitch, it is expected to be a good pitch for more batters, and should provide a decent contest between bat vs ball.
Australia: Defending Champions
Australia comes into the final as World Test Champions after winning the title in 2023. Under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, the team looks very strong, and the predicted key players that could make a difference are:
• Pat Cummins – suited to the conditions in England, the captain and leading fast bowler.
• Steve Smith – an average of more than 56 in Test cricket, it is hard to think of a player as explosive as Smith in world cricket today.
• Travis Head – the leading run scorer in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, including two centuries in a row.
Australia has made some timely additions to its squad for the final. 19-year-old Sam Konstas has been included in the 15 available players, and the inclusion of Usman Khawaja, an experienced opening batsman, is also welcome. Cameron Green has come through back surgery, and he will only play as a batter, but he missed the series against Sri Lanka, so some continuity in the batting order will be good for him. Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins also come back after being away from the ODI series against Sri Lanka, bolstering the pace attack.
South Africa: Under Dags and with something to prove
South Africa is on a winning streak, having won seven consecutive Tests against teams such as West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Their presence in the final is part of the reason for their resurgence as a formidable opponent.
Key players are:
• Kagiso Rabada – the main fast bowler with a proven success rate in English conditions.
• Temba Bavuma – the team captain and experienced middle-order batter, most importantly, they need his stability.
• Marco Jansen – an exciting, emergent all-rounder who can function as a batter and bowler.
Rabada is confident his side can take it to Australia, saying, “We know how to beat them.”
Match Predictions
Top Batsman (Aus): Steve Smith – All things being equal, he should be able to play long at Lord’s, where he has a great record
Top Batsman (SA): Temba Bavuma – Very much the captain, so we are depending on his experience and strong character in tough times
Top Bowler (Aus): Pat Cummins – Tough to pin down, but his coming and goings on the shift can capitalize on swing and seam
Top Bowler (SA): Kagiso Rabada – Strong overall record at Lord’s, well placed to make a dent.
Match Winner: Australia – We go with Australia based on their lineup’s deployment across batting and bowling.
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Prize Money
The ICC, and in a milestone moment for Cricket Australia, has raised the prize money significantly for the World Test Championship Final 2025. The winning team will walk away with a whopping $3.6 million, over double what was paid out for the 2023 final.
As the countdown to June 11 ticks down, cricket fans around the world are counting down the days until this battle of the titans. Each team has world-class players and records to attest to this moment, and the World Test Championship Final 2025, at Lord’s, will be an exciting chapter in cricket history.