Also includes the ball used, team and venue details, and more on the first WTC final to not feature India
Vishal Dikshit09-Jun-20256:55
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What exactly is this WTC final?It’s the game deciding the winner of biggest title in Test cricket. The ICC started the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2019 that would run on a two-year cycle with nine teams competing in a league. At the end of the cycle, the top two teams on the points table face off in the final to get their hands on the ICC mace.So which two teams are playing this time?The defending champions Australia and South Africa, who will play their maiden WTC final. South Africa topped the table for the 2023-25 WTC cycle by winning their last seven Tests on the bounce that helped them overtake at least four other teams.Related
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Australia are the current title-holders, having thrashed two-time finalists India in the 2023 final at The Oval. Australia had won by a massive margin of 209 runs with centuries from Steven Smith and Travis Head in the first innings, before their bowling attack restricted India to sub-300 totals in each innings. Head was named the Player of the Match, just a few months before he repeated the feat against the same opponent in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023 in India.When and where is the WTC final 2025?After Southampton in 2021 and The Oval in 2023, the 2025 final is set to be played at the historic venue Lord’s, June 11 onwards. It’s for the third time in a row that the venue has turned out to be a neutral ground for the finalists, as the first WTC final was played between New Zealand and India. The 2025 WTC final will start at 10:30am local time, which is 09:30am GMT.Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins with the Test mace ahead of the WTC final•ICC via Getty ImagesWho are the captains of the finalists and what do the squads look like?Pat Cummins will lead Australia whereas Temba Bavuma will captain South Africa.There is a lot of intrigue around who will open with Usman Khawaja for Australia. The 19-year-old Sam Konstas was named in the side, but he was left out in Sri Lanka earlier this year. The other option is to open with Marnus Labuschagne, which seems like the likeliest option right now, with Cameron Green set to slot in at No. 3 as a batter only. The bowling attack looks more straightforward with Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all set to start, with Scott Boland also in the side, and Matt Kuhnemann as Lyon’s cover.Australia squad: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann. Travelling reserve: Brendan DoggettSouth Africa also named a familiar-looking side featuring senior players such as Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj. Rabada recently returned after completing a one-month suspension for failing a drug test, after which he played in the IPL in India and then the four-day tour game against Zimbabwe in Arundel. Rabada will lead a six-man pace pack at the WTC final which includes Lungi Ngidi, who has not featured in Tests since August last year. There was, however, no place for Gerald Coetzee, who was ruled out of the home summer with an injury, 19-year-old left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and Nandre Burger. The two spinners in their squad are Maharaj and allrounder Senuran Muthusamy.South Africa squad: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran MuthusamyWhat is the prize money for the WTC winners?The prize money for the 2025 winners has more than doubled compared to the last two editions, from US$ 1.6 million to $3.6 million. The 2025 runners-up will take home $2.1 million this time, compared to $800,000 in the last two editions. While announcing the increase in prize money last month, the ICC had stated in a release it was their effort “to prioritize Test cricket.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat happens if the Test is drawn, tied or abandoned?In any of those scenarios, Australia and South Africa will have to share the WTC trophy. However, to reduce the possibility of a draw, the match has a reserve day in place.So will they use the reserve day if there’s no clear winner in five days?That’s not quite it. The sixth day after the match starts – June 16 – has been kept as a reserve day. It will be used only if time has been lost to bad weather across the five days and they are unable to make up for it in those five days, and no result has been reached by the end of the fifth day.This was the case in the 2021 final when the first day’s play had been washed out in Southampton and the reserve day was used to cover for the time that had been lost. There were bad light and rain interruptions on other days, too.So tell us now what’s the weather forecast like?The first day is likely to be a little overcast but there is some rain forecast on the second day, June 12. The three days after that should be a lot better to play with sunny conditions and some clouds thrown in.What ball will they play with in the final?As was the case in the last two finals, it will be the Dukes ball again, which is used primarily in England, Ireland and the West Indies for Test cricket. Australia and South Africa both are used to playing with the Kookaburra at home.Where can we watch the WTC finalThere are different international broadcast partners who will bring the live coverage and the highlights to you. Here’s the list:India: Star Sports & Jiostar
Australia: Amazon Prime Video
South Africa: SuperSport TV
UK: Sky Sports Cricket
USA & Canada: Willow TV and Willow TV app
Caribbean & South America: ESPN Caribbean and ESPN Play Caribbean
New Zealand: Sky Sport Network
Middle East & North Africa: TSM via Nagorik TV, e&
Pakistan: PTV and Ten Sports
Afghanistan: Ariana Television
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
Singapore: StarHub
Malaysia: Astro
Hong Kong: PCCW
Pacific Islands: PNG Digicel
Rest of the World: ICC.tv
