WTC Final 2025 Australia faces South Africa at Lord’s in a high-stakes Test clash. Early breakthroughs by Rabada put Australia under pressure. Smith and Labuschagne stabilize the innings. Fans can watch live on Star Sports and Jio Cinema in India.
Match Overview WTC Final 2025
Event: ICC World Test Championship Final 2023–2025
Teams: Australia vs South Africa
Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Dates: June 11–15, 2025 (Reserve Day: June 16) (Source : Wikipedia )
Toss: South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first
Australia entered as the defending champions (won the 2023 final at The Oval) and were aiming to become the first side to retain the WTC title. South Africa participated in their first-ever WTC , seeking to break their long ICC trophy drought and shake off underachiever label.
Day 1 Key Events
| 🕒 Time/Session | 🔑 Key Event | 📝 Details |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 AM BST | 🧢 Toss | South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first at Lord’s. |
| 10:30 AM | 🏏 Match Begins | Australia opened with Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne (new opener). |
| 10:45 AM | 🔄 Disciplined Start by SA | Jansen and Rabada bowled back-to-back maiden overs. |
| 11:00 AM | ❌ Wicket 1 – Khawaja out for 0 | Rabada dismissed Khawaja for a duck, caught by Bedingham at slip. |
| 11:15 AM | ❌ Wicket 2 – Green falls early | Cameron Green edged Rabada to slip, scoring only 4 runs. |
| 12:00 PM | 🧱 Smith joins Labuschagne – Steady Partnership Begins | At 29/2, Smith and Labuschagne begin to stabilize the innings. |
| 01:00 PM | 🍽️ Lunch Break | Aus reached 61/3 in 21.1 overs – Labuschagne 17 out, Smith 22, T. Head 10. |
| Throughout | 🎯 Bowling Highlights | Rabada: 6 overs, 4 maidens, 2 wickets for 9 runs. Jansen: maintained pressure. |
| Pitch Report | 🌥️ Conditions Favored Bowlers | Overcast skies aided swing and seam movement on a green pitch. |
Playing XIs
Australia (Pat Cummins c):
Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne (OP debut), Cameron Green (#3, returning from back surgery), Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
South Africa (Temba Bavuma c):
Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder (#3), Temba Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
What’s Next?
- Day 2 onward: Australia will aim to build a solid first-innings total to exert scoreboard pressure. South Africa will look to strike early again with the new ball.
- Reserve day: June 16 is in place in case of weather disruptions.
Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
- India:
- TV: Star Sports
- Digital: JioTV / JioCinema / JioHotstar
- Australia: Amazon Prime Video (full Test, courtesy of ICC rights from 2024–2027).
- UK/Ireland: Sky Sports Main Event
- North America: Willow TV
- Sub‑Saharan Africa: SuperSport & DSTV App
- Rest of world: ICC.tv (digital streaming).
Stakes & Prize Money
- First-ever WTC crown for South Africa, a major ICC milestone
- Australia could become the first team to retain the WTC mace, reinforcing their modern Test dominance
- Prize Money: Champions – USD 3.6 million; Runners-up – USD 2.16 million.
Top 5 Test Teams & Players (ICC Rankings – June 2025)
| Category’s | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 | Rank 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Australia | India | South Africa | England | New Zealand |
| Batsmen | Joe Root | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Kane Williamson | Hary Brook | Daryl Mitchell |
| Bowlers | Jasprit Bumrah | Kagiso Rabada | Josh Hazelwood | R. Ashwin | Prabhat Jaysurya |
| All-Rounders | Ravindra Jadeja | R. Ahwin | Shakib Al Hasan | Mehidy Hason | J. Holder |
Summary
On Day 1, South Africa is early swing bowling success put Australia under pressure, with Rabada’s double strike dismantling the revised Aussie top order. Smith and Labuschagne’s steady batting partnership partially stemmed the flow of wickets. With airs swirling at Lord’s and the pitch likely to even out, the contest remains finely poised.
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