South Africa Opt to Bowl First as WTC Final Begins at Lord’s

London — South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to field first against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s on Wednesday. With cloudy conditions overhead, Bavuma cited favorable conditions for the new ball as a key factor in his decision to put Australia into bat.

The South African pace attack, led by Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and spinner Keshav Maharaj, is expected to play a pivotal role in their quest for an upset victory. Despite a relatively inexperienced batting lineup, South Africa’s strong bowling unit remains their greatest asset.

Australia captain Pat Cummins welcomed the decision, expressing confidence in his team’s ability to bat first on what he described as a good wicket with the potential to offer turn as the match progresses.

Both sides confirmed their squads on the eve of the match. Australia welcomed back all-rounder Cameron Green and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who recovered from injury to join the playing XI. Green’s return has pushed Marnus Labuschagne to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja, while Hazlewood replaces Scott Boland in the bowling attack.

South Africa made a surprising change by promoting all-rounder Wiaan Mulder to bat at number three. Mulder, who has predominantly batted lower down the order, will face the challenge of anchoring the innings early. The Proteas also included Lungi Ngidi in the pace lineup over veteran Dane Paterson, despite Ngidi not having played in their last seven Tests.

The stakes are high as Australia, the reigning WTC champions after their win over India in 2023, face a South African side eager to claim their first title in the competition’s third edition. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC final in 2021.

Teams:

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

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

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The match promises intense competition as both sides look to assert dominance in this prestigious Test series final at the home of cricket.