WTC Final 2025: Australia on Top against South Africa after Day 1 to Defend their title

The World Test Championship 2025 have reached towards its penultimate end where the final is currently played between Australia and South Africa in Lords.

At the end of Day 1, South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first, where Australia lost two quick wickets, due to amazing brilliance, from Kagiso Rabada.

In comes two amazing Australian Batters in form of Marnus Labushagne and Steven Smith who tried to consolidate partnership in the middle.

Ultimately Jansen took Labuschangne, wicket where the latter scored, in walks Travis Head couldn’t score further and ultimately bundled out on 11 runs.

Ultimately it was all down Possibly greatest Test Batter Steven Smith to play second fiddle role in the middle in retrospect with Beau Webster.

Beau Webster scored 72 runs and ensured that Australia score some runs for Kangaroos so that they can establish their dominance against South Africa.

Handy runs from Alex Carey 23 helped them to score 212 runs in their first innings.

In response, South Africa, came out to bat looking confident to give tough time to Australian players, as they say it is always difficult to look beyond these trio which include- Mitchell Starc if he doesn’t get you, Pat Cummins will clinch your wicket and if these two will not get you ultimately it is down to Josh Hazelwood he would certainly pick your wicket.

It wasn’t easy for South African batters out there, Aiden Markaram got bundled out without scoring runs and Ryan Rickleton on the other end scored 16 runs but none of the batters could sustain. Australian fast pace bowlinh eventually losing the plot and couldn’t sustain further once the day got concluded, South Africa scored 43 runs at the loss of 4 wickets.

The moment stumps were declared, Skipper Tembe Bavuma and D Bedingham was still batting in the middle.

The Australian fast bowler – Mitchell Starc clinched 2 wickets , Hazelwood picked 1 wicket and Cummins complemented both by clinching another wicket in the middle.

 

More detailed record about this Encounter:

 

1. Kagiso Rabada strike Rate being 38.0 while claiming 54 wickets at 21.88 runs each in 11 Tests is the best among bowlers with 50 plus wickets vs Australia in Tests and the next best record in the tally belongs to none other than Jasprit Bumrah where he clinched 64 wickets in 12 Test at an average of 17.15.

2. Kagiso Rabada fourth, five wicket haul vs Australia is his 17th in Test and his best performance came in 7 tests in England where his other 5 wicket haul came against England where he clinched 5 wickets at the loss of 52 runs at Lords in 2022.

3. Steven Smith 591 runs aggregate at 59.10, including two hundreds and three fifties in 10 innings is the highest runs scored by any visiting batter at Lords Cricket Ground, eclipsing Australian Warren Bardsley’s who scored 575 runs at an average of 115 in 7 innings.

4. Steven Smith achieved unique record in Test Cricket, where he scored 18 Fifty Plus scores which include(8 hundreds and 10 fifties) by Smith in Test Cricket in England overtaking the 17th (5 Hundreds and 12 Fifties) by Allan Border Both Played 43 innings in Test Cricket especially on England shores.

5. Overall the way things have turned out between these two teams, Australia have psychological and mindset wise edge over Proteas in this important marquee event.

Talking about more technicalities in Detail, Proteas body language looks confident, in the initial hour of the game but lost their mojo in subsequent hour of the game.

Australians are known for their fighting spirit, winning mindset and ability to absorb pressure in the crunch situations in the game will make things working for them especially in Playoffs scenario where they hardly lose those crunch moments.

If Australian wins this contest against South Africa don’t be surprised at all they are already favorites and certainly knows how to win crunch moments without letting anyone guess too much about anything.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Q-1: Why Steven Smith is special batter in Test Cricket? 

Answer: Steven Smith is a special batter in the longest format of the game due to variety of reasons to be shared in the below format: 

 

1. Ability to sustain patience and bat for prolong period. 

2. Ability to play with Psychology of Opposition Bowlers. 

3. Ability to rotate strike especially in crunch situations. 

4. Ability to score big on consistent basis due to his technique which is completely unorthodox, but it works for him based on which he has scored heap of runs in most important games. 

5. Overall, Steven Smith hunger to score runs in the longest format of the game, makes him another standout performer in the longest format of the game as the batter who have longer tenacity and remained hungry can bring huge difference in the Cricket’s Ultimate format. 

Q-2: What so special about Australia Trioka bowlers- Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc? 

Answer: There are several thing special about Australia trioka- including the likes of Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins where they have picked wickets on consistent basis but some of the factors which include- Ability to deceive batters, ability to clinch wickets in all intervals in the game, ability to change length in all aspect of the game which makes things difficult for opposition batters, their ability to play with mind of opposition batters where they made them guessing their entire move which in itself is a rare quality in any talented bowler. 

The quality which very few experts will talk about- the way Hazelwood, Cummins and Starc complement each other in the middle is second to none. 

Q-3: Why Australian Cricket Team never loses in Playoffs spot ? 

Answer: Australian athlete are born champion, they certainly knows how to adapt pressure in the crunch moments makes them champion. 

Their ability to give it all when the stage is higher is exemplary, be it 2023 World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad where they silenced more than 1 lakh crowd, makes them an absolute champion. 

Considering how things have paced up so far between these two sides, Australia are clear cut favorites to win this contest. 

Australian Cricket team in all three departments of the game- looks confident and solid especially after day 1 to win this contest against Proteas. 

However there are still 4 days left in the contest anything can happen in Cricket, but considering all permutations and Combinations it looks like Australia will successfully defend their title against Proteas.

There are certain flaws in World Test Championship Cycle, where teams reaching the final didn’t play equal number of matches if you compare Australia and South Africa where the latter played only 12 matches, in comparison to Kangaroos.

Many Expert predicted that, South Africa didn’t play top tier teams to reach the final as the finalist is decided based on uneven number of matches and percentage comes into consideration.

However Coach Conrad Shukri have denied this statement, also India and Pakistan didn’t play in WTC cycle considering the diplomatic relationship is currently strangled among each other.

Designing Upcoming cycle atleast all teams should play equal number of matches in terms of series in order to reach in the final as the moment these bylines are decided , it would make contest evenly balanced and poised in favor of both teams.

Australian team would look to strengthen on their confidence against South Africa whereas the latter would look to salvage their pride and make comeback on Day 2.