South Africa and Australia are scheduled in the final match of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025. Between 11 and 15 June, the WTC final is in the Mecca of the final cricket. This is the first time the final of the World Test Championship will be played on the historic ground of Lord’s.

But Australia and South Africa have come face to face on this ground before. In 1912, both teams collided in Lord’s under a triangular Test series. At that time there were only three Test playing teams in the world – England, Australia and South Africa. The tournament lasted from May to August and England won in that match.

The #WTC25 Final starts today 🏆

Who’s taking home the mace?

How to watch 📺 https://t.co/oas2Rsdptj pic.twitter.com/hfSjX8HeJE

— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2025

Talking about the record, Australia defeated South Africa by 10 wickets at Lord’s ground 113 years ago. This time the current Champion Australia will land as a strong contender in the WTC final. Even some former veteran players of South Africa themselves have admitted that their team is an underdog in this match.

Now the same former player and the current team must be feeling the pressure of this final. The African team won the ICC knockout in 1998 and won only one ICC title so far. At the same time, some people believe that despite winning just one Test in the two -year Test Championship, South Africa has got a place in the final from the ‘easy way’, and the same thing also goes against them.

Australia’s team
Most of the players of Australia’s team have played in big matches before. They know how to play on such occasions and how to handle pressure. Most of the Khiladi of this team has won three world titles in three different formats in the last four years.

He has a quartet of the world’s most spectacular bowlers and veteran batsmen like Steve Smith are also in the team, who have again appeared in great form this year. Travis Head has also scored centuries in two consecutive big finals and is in excellent form.

However, there were some questions about playing XI, Cameron Green is fit for batting and is in good form, but cannot bowl. He will have to bat at number 3, which will be only the second time in his first class career, and he is playing this Test after 15 months. At the same time, Marnas Labushen will open for the first time in Test cricket, from which Usman Khwaja will get the 5th separate partner in 9 Tests.

South African team strength
On the other hand, South Africa’s batting lineup is the same as it was expected, but most of these batsmen will be new for Australia’s fast bowlers. Only Eden Markram and Temba Bavuma have played the Test against Australia first. At the same time, Triston Stabs and Ryan Recllet have seen Australian bowlers in the IPL, and Stabs has also played with Mitchell Starc.

When Australia Played South Africa Neutral Tests
Three neutral Test matches have been played between Australia and South Africa so far, and all three were held in 1912. Two of these matches were won by Australia at Manchester and Lords, while Nottingham match was a draw.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lion are the first bowling quartet in the history of Test cricket to have 250-250 wickets and who have played the match together. At the same time, Kagiso Rabada of South Africa has alone take 327 wickets and their average and strike rate is better than these four.

In Lord’s, Australia has played 40 Tests so far, out of which 18 have won, 7 have lost and 15 have been drawn. At the same time, South Africa has played 18 Tests there, in which 6 have won, 8 are lost and 4 are drawn.

South Africa’s playing for WTC finals 11: Temba Bavuma (Captain), Eden Markram, Ryan Ryan Ricelton, Vian Mulder, Triston Stabs, David Bedingham, Kyle Varin, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngid

Australia’s playing for WTC finals 11: Usman Khwaja, Marnas Labushen, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Bu Webster, Alex Carrie, Pat Cummins (Captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Leon, Josh Hazlewood.