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There is doubt about whether the mighty Aussies will fancy their chances of defending their WTC title leading into this clash. South Africa, in recent years, has been known to pack a punch. It is the final hurdle like this where they have failed in the last few ICC tournaments.
However, how do you decide a favourite among two teams that have played each other only thrice in the last seven years? Since the infamous Sandpaper series of 2017/18, South Africa toured Australia in 2022/23, where they lost the three-match series 2-0.
There will be a lot of fresh faces among both teams when they clash in the final of the World Test Championship. One of the most significant changes would be the shift in leadership in South Africa. It was Dean Elgar who captained the team when South Africa last played Australia.
One would put their money behind Australia, given their huge success in these high-octane matches. Among their three experienced pacers and spinners, Nathan Lyon, the bowling attack boasts 1,508 wickets in tests. However, South Africa still needs to decide who will partner with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj as the fourth bowling option. Dane Patterson and Lungi Ngidi are the frontline pace-bowling options, while Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch provide a bit of batting depth as well.
A good start with the bat in hand is key in high-octane matches. Both teams will be looking for some solidity with their top orders. For South Africa, their batting order looks pretty settled. However, the same cannot be said for Australia. With Cameron Green getting back into the action after his back surgery, the defending champions would need to move Marnus Labuschagne to the top of the batting order to partner up with Usman Khawaja. If Sam Konstas manages to retain his spot, having impressed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, then it could be curtains for Labuschagne.
Having left their Indian Premier League teams after the league stage, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton would be the opening pair for South Africa. Markram is one of the most experienced players in his team and will be expected to provide some solidity at the top of the order. In 10 tests since 2023, Markram has shown signs of maturity, having scored 848 runs at an average of more than 40. He has unarguably played on some of the toughest wickets where the ball continues to move sideways for prolonged periods of time.
On the other hand, Rickelton is one of the prospects in the cricket world. The 28-year-old has already impressed in the 10 tests he has played so far. With a high score of 259 runs in his previous innings, Rickelton could be the danger man against the hard new ball for Australia.
Tony de Zorzi, batting at number three, is possibly the weakest link in the South African batting lineup. The left-handed batter has been a regular feature in the red-ball setup since his debut in 2023. But he has lacked a match-winning knock in his 11-match career so far. The Temba Bavuma-led unit tried an out-of-the-box move by playing Wiaan Mulder at number three in their previous clash against Pakistan. Having batted once in the clash, the all-rounder only managed to score five runs. If Mulder plays is yet to be seen, but if he shows any signs of batting superiority in the nets, then batting him at number three could provide an extra layer of bowling depth.
Pat Cummins was recently on the receiving end of a few questions regarding Australia’s batting order. The skipper cheekily only confirmed that Steve Smith will bat at number four. The only other surety would be Usman Khawaja opening the innings. The left-handed batter is possibly at the last stage of his career, and this could be his last match in England. Having played 80 games, Khawaja is far more experienced than any top-order South African batter. He boasts an average of 45 in the longest format. However, his numbers take a hit in England, where the 38-year-old averages only 31. With the uncertainty of who will open the innings alongside him, Khawaja will need to do the heavy lifting if Australia goes on to defend their title.
Marnus Labuschagne is in the race to partner with Khawaja at the top of the order. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has been a failure with the bat in hand in the last few years. It has been 15 tests since he has scored a century, and he has not looked in pretty poor touch since the last game of the Ashes series in 2023. On the other hand, Sam Konstas, albeit having played only two games representing Australia, has impressed many experts with his tenacity. The right-handed teenager played a huge role in the hosts' winning the last two games in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 by taking the attack against Jasprit Bumrah. However, he fell out of contention in the next two games in Sri Lanka, where it was Travis Head who moved to the top of the order to open the innings. While Labuschagne could be the first choice for opening with Khawaja, given his experience, Pat Cummins and the rest of the leadership group will be taking a close look at how Konstas performs in the nets leading up to the match.
Cameron Green has been earmarked to be the next big thing from Australia. Standing at almost two metres tall, he is not only big in structure but also one of the brightest prospects with his performances. The 26-year-old had been out of action since September 2024, having injured his back. He underwent surgery and returned to action in 2025 in the County Championship. While he has not bowled a single over for Gloucestershire, he has impressed with the bat in hand with three centuries and a fifty in five clashes. Given his familiarity with the conditions, Green would play a huge role as a specialist batter at number three.
For Australia, it will be the regular features in the middle order, with Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Alex Carey who will be key players. Meanwhile, South Africa’s most experienced batter would be their skipper, Temba Bavuma. Alongside the SA captain, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreyne would be another vital cog in the batting unit. But the real test would be between the inexperienced all-rounders from the two teams with the bat in hand.
It will be captain, Temba Bavuma, holding all the aces for South Africa when it comes to the middle-order. The right-handed batter has been in solid form since 2021. He has scored close to 1700 runs in 22 games at an average of almost 50. Apart from his captaincy, Bavuma the batter will need to go big with the bat in hand to lead SA to victory against the Aussies. Given the paucity of tests South Africa plays, Bavuma has not played a single test in England since 2017. It will be a tough ask for the SA batters to compete with Australia in these testing conditions.
Tristan Stubbs has been one of the finest players in limited-overs cricket around the world in recent times. However, it will be literally a different ball game altogether when it comes to the final of the World Test Championship. Stubbs is coming into the clash after some fine performances in the IPL. He has played nine test matches since his debut in January 2024. He has scored only 500 runs, including two centuries and a fifty. However, the 24-year-old has found issues with consistency and averages a moderate 33.33. Apart from Stubbs, South Africa could go with David Bedingham. Having played more than 100 first-class games, the right-handed batter is much more experienced than Stubbs. But when it comes to test cricket, his numbers to those of the 24-year-old with an average of 33.94 in 12 games.
Kyle Verreyne will be donning the gloves for the Proteas in their clash against Australia. The 28-year-old, apart from his fine keeping skills, has played a huge role in South Africa reaching the final of the WTC. Since 2024, the wicketkeeper has played nine tests and has scored 484 runs at an average of 40.33. Three of his four centuries in test cricket have come during this phase. His strike rate, too, has gone up in this phase to 65. Given the inexperience on either side of him, Verreyne might have to take the aggressive role if he is provided with a solid base.
It could be a straight shootout between Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch for the all-rounder role at number seven. However, if South Africa continues with their experiment of batting Mulder at number three from the previous game then Bosch could bat at number seven. The 30-year-old has played only a solitary test match so far in his career. However, he impressed in both facets of the clash, scoring 81 runs and picking up five wickets.
Steve Smith, after experimenting with opening the innings, returned to his usual number four position in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He found success after failing in the first two games. He scored two centuries against India before hitting a couple of centuries against Sri Lanka. He is coming into this clash without playing much cricket after taking a three-month hiatus and spending his time in New York. How he will fare upon his return will go on to have a major say in how Australia performs.
Travis Head has been on a generational run of great form with the bat in hand. The left-handed batter has time and again shown glimpses of aggression while batting in the middle-order for Australia. Since 2021, he has played 37 games and has scored over 2,500 runs at an average of 44.24. He was the point of difference in the pink-ball test against India, which shifted the momentum towards the home team in the BGT.
Alex Carey will be the glovesman for Australia in the WTC Final. The left-hander seldom makes any mistakes while keeping wickets and provides solidity with the bat in hand at number six. Coming into the clash, Carey has scored a century each in his last two first-class games for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield. Against South Africa in three games, he has scored 133 runs while being dismissed only once.
Beau Webster in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was rewarded for his hard work in the first-class circuit with a test cap. In three tests, the tall Australian all-rounder has impressed in all three facets of the game. He has scored 150 runs while picking up three wickets. While fielding at gully, his tall stature allows him to cover a huge area. It is yet to be known where he will field once Cameron Green takes on the gully position.
As is the case with most test matches, the WTC Final will be won on the back of the two impressive bowling attacks. On one hand, it is the experienced quartet of Australia’s finest. Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada, fresh from serving his one-month ban, might have to do most of the heavy lifting alongside Marco Jansen.
There is no denying that Marco Jansen, as a batter number eight, provides more depth to the batting unit in comparison to Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc. The tall left-arm pacer is a bowling all-rounder and has played some crucial knocks with the bat in hand in recent times. It was he and Kagiso Rabada who shared an unbeaten 51-run stand to seal SA’s qualification for the final in the Boxing-Day test against Sri Lanka. With the ball in his hand, he can find movement in the air with the new ball and bring a left-arm variety to the attack as well. Jansen is one of the tallest cricketers in the world and can prove to be awkward to face by the batters. He has played a single game at Lord’s, where he picked up four wickets and scored 48 runs. A similar performance against Australia could prove to be pretty crucial.
Kagiso Rabada is the leader of the South African bowling attack. The right-arm pacer has been one of the finest bowlers of this generation and is among the all-time greats from his country. He has more wickets than Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and is much more potent than Mitchell Starc. He has been the frontline pacer in recent years. Since 2021, Rabada has taken 130 wickets in 27 games. These wickets have come at an average of only 20.56. Time and again, he has been like a thorn in the side for Australia, having picked up 49 wickets against them at 23 apiece.
Keshav Maharaj will be the lone spinner for the South African team. Given the conditions in England, the left-arm spinner might find himself being used as a relief bowler to give some rest to the faster bowlers in the first innings. However, given the number of right-arm pacers in the game, their follow-through will create a rough for Maharaj to use in the third or fourth innings.
Lungi Ngidi could very well be the fourth bowler for South Africa in the all-important WTC Final. The right-arm pacer at his best can bowl at searing speeds of well above 140 kmph. While he is not as tall as Jansen, Ngidi is among the tallest players. Since 2021, when he is fit, Ngidi has been on fire with the ball in hand. In 13 games in this period, he has picked up 37 wickets at 21 apiece. His form against Australia and in England could be a cause of concern in the final for Temba Bavuma’s side.
Mitchell Starc, like Jansen, is a tall left-arm pacer who can get the ball to move around in the air. While he, too, is pretty handy with the bat, Starc falls short a bit when compared to Jansen. Among the two teams, he is the most experienced pace bowler. He is four matches away from playing 100 tests and is 18 wickets shy of the 400-mark. While Starc is not as potent as someone like Hazlewood and Cummins, he makes up for it with the threat he possesses. On his day, Starc can run past opponents’ batters quite smoothly. The left-arm pacer will play a huge role in picking up wickets with the new ball to make a dent early in the innings.
To become the first captain to win the World Test Championship twice, Pat Cummins, the bowler, will have to play a huge role. The right-arm pacer is close to a milestone himself, having claimed 294 wickets. He uses himself as a workforce and the first-change bowler after Starc and Hazlewood’s opening spells. What makes Cummins stand apart is his ability to continuously bowl at a similar line and length for an elongated spell to trouble any batter. He has been the best bowler for Australia in the past seven years and would be crucial as they look to defend their title.
Nathan Lyon will be the solitary spinner for Australia. The right-arm off-spinner is the highest wicket-taker among the current bowlers with 553 scalps next to his name. While the conditions in Australia in recent years have not helped spin bowlers one bit, Lyon still remains a regular feature in the bowling attack. With Starc and Jansen in the lineup, Lyon would use the rough created for him to trouble the batters in the latter stages of the game.
Josh Hazlewood comes into the clash on the back of an impressive performance in the IPL 2025. The right-arm pacer was vital in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting their maiden title after 18 years of long wait. He also has a special record of not losing any final he has taken part in. While the Australian team won the World Test Championship in 2023 without the right-arm pacer, he will be raring to make a mark as Australia gears up to defend their title.
Having divided the two teams into three parts, a decision could be made on the basis of how different players line up against their opponent numbers. In the battle of the two top orders, South Africa edges past Australia slightly. The confusion among the Australian top-order has pushed them on the back foot.
However, when it comes to the middle order and the two bowling attacks, it is Australia that is unarguably the better-stacked team. When it comes to numbers 4,5,6, and 7, the defending champions completely dominate their opponents. Marco Jansen at eight is possibly better than Mitchell Starc at the moment, given their current form. But among 9, 10, and 11, it is the Australians who are better than their counterparts.
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