South Africa will face Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final from June 11 to 15 at Lord’s in London. Australia, the current champions, will try to become the first team to retain the WTC title. They won the last edition by defeating India at The Oval. Notably, Travis Head’s superb century helped seal the victory. As a result, Australia took the trophy from New Zealand, who had beaten India in the first-ever WTC final.

South Africa Eye Historic Win

Meanwhile, South Africa will play in their first WTC final. They have won only one ICC trophy in their history. That win came over two decades ago. Now, under captain Temba Bavuma, they see this match as a golden chance to make history.

“Whatever the result, a thrilling contest is on the cards at the iconic Lord’s this week,” said an ICC official.

How South Africa Reached the Final

To reach the final, South Africa topped the WTC points table. They played 12 matches, winning eight, losing three, and drawing one. Consequently, they earned a win percentage of 69.44%. They currently hold the top spot in Test rankings.

Australia’s Journey to the Final

Australia came second in the WTC standings. They played 19 Tests, won 13, lost four, and drew two. However, they received a 10-point penalty. Despite that, they finished with a 67.54% win rate and secured their second consecutive WTC final appearance.

Match Details and Timings

The final will be held from June 11 to 15 at Lord’s. Each day’s play will begin at 3:30 PM IST.

Additionally, the reserve day is scheduled for June 16 in case of bad weather.

Big Increase in Prize Money

Importantly, the ICC has increased the prize money. Previously, the winners received USD 1.6 million. Now, they will earn USD 3.6 million. The runners-up will take home USD 2.16 million, up from USD 800,000 in the last editions.

Squads

South Africa (SA): Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy.

Australia (Aus): Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann.
Travelling Reserve: Brendan Doggett.