South Africa Opts to Bowl First Against Australia in World Test Championship Final

World Test Championship Final Begins

In a thrilling start to the World Test Championship final at Lord's, South Africa won the toss and decided to bowl first against the reigning champions, Australia, on Wednesday.

The decision was influenced by the overcast conditions.

South African captain Temba Bavuma expressed excitement about the occasion, stating, “It’s a massive event. You can hear the South African accents in the crowd. It promises to be a spectacular match.”

On the other hand, Australia, which did not have a warm-up match, is confident in their readiness, according to captain Pat Cummins.

“Our preparation has been exceptional. Everyone in the squad is prepared to perform,” Cummins remarked. “We’ve had around 10 days to get ready. There’s no added pressure; we’ve been in this situation before and emerged victorious. It’s all about enjoying the game.” The teams were finalized on Tuesday.

Australia has made some changes to their batting order, with Marnus Labuschagne opening for the first time in a Test match and Cameron Green batting at No. 3 after a 15-month hiatus. Josh Hazlewood has replaced Scott Boland in the bowling lineup.

South Africa has made one adjustment, bringing back Lungi Ngidi as their third seamer, maintaining the same squad from their last Test in January, where they secured a four-day victory over Pakistan in Cape Town.

Team Lineups:

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood