Viewers who turned on the channel to see Australia vs. South Africa ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 (WTC Final 2025) might be surprised to see Sam Konstas on the field and Steve Smith out of the ground.

On Day 3 of the 'Ultimate Test' match at Lord's, South Africa was looking comfortable during the final chase. Like in the first innings, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma emerged as the main barrier in front of the destructive Aussie bowling line-up. 

Opener Aiden Markram, already settled on the crease, later joined by Bavuma, has been posing a continuous threat from the defending champion side. Australia had a golden opportunity to dismiss Temba early, but they couldn't succeed, and in the process, Steve Smith managed to injure himself so badly that he had to leave the ground with tears. Sam Konstas immediately came into the field to replace Smith.

Read More: WATCH: Jitesh Sharma match winning knock in Semi Final 1 of Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2025

Confirmations from both ICC and Australia 

According to a report published by the International Cricket Council (ICC), "Smith was standing in close at slip with a helmet on when South Africa captain Temba Bavuma edged one into the cordon off pacer Mitchell Starc, and the Australia veteran grassed the chance with Bavuma on just two at the time." 

Later, Cricket Australia confirmed that Steve had dislocated his finger, so for treatment, he was taken to the hospital. "Steve Smith has suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger while fielding in the slip cordon during the ICC Men's World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lord's. He was assessed by Australian team medical staff at the ground and taken to hospital for x-rays and further treatment," Cricket Australia confirmed. 

JUST IN: A big injury blow for the Aussies with confirmation that Steve Smith has suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger #WTC25 pic.twitter.com/9Vu8A8Gb80

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 13, 2025

One of the most well-known cricket grounds in the world is London's Lord's Cricket Ground. Known as the "Home of Cricket," it has played host to numerous historic Test matches. At Lord's, it is difficult to win a match by chasing a large target in the fourth innings. In the final days, the pitch becomes rougher and slower, making it difficult for hitters to hold their own against excellent bowling.

• South Africa 2nd Innings: 94/2 in 24 overs (57.1 overs total)
• Tea Break Status: Trailing by 188 runs (target: 282)
• Current Run Rate (CRR): 3.92

As we anticipate the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final between Australia and South Africa, let's take a look at the most successful 200-run chases in Test history at Lord's. Interestingly, prior to this final, there had only been three such chases.

1. England – West Indies – 342/1 (1984)

When the West Indies team chased down a target of 342 runs in the fourth innings in 1984, it was the most successful run chase at Lord's. Gordon Greenidge, who scored an unbeaten 214 runs, was the match star. Larry Gomes, who was not out on 92 runs. One of the most memorable wins in Test cricket was achieved by the West Indies, who took just one wicket and easily chased the total. This chase stunned England and demonstrated the 1980s West Indies team's strength. It was a batting masterclass, demonstrating timing, patience, and when necessary, power hitting.

2. England vs. New Zealand, 282/3 (2004)

When England chased 282 runs against New Zealand in 2004, it was the second-highest successful chase at Lord's.Two English greats stood out in this game: Nasser Hussain scored an undefeated 103, and Andrew Strauss scored 112 runs. With just three wickets lost, their composed and assured partnership helped England win handily. Since it was Nasser Hussain's final Test match, this one was especially memorable. After he hit the winning runs, he declared his retirement. At the Home of Cricket, his century and game-winning performance made for the ideal send-off.

Also Read: GLO vs SOM Dream11 Prediction Today: Fantasy Cricket Tips PlayingXI and Pitch Report

3. England vs. New Zealand, 277/5, 2022

   In 2022, England tried to reach another lofty goal of 277 runs, this time against New Zealand. This time, Joe Root's outstanding unbeaten 115 led the team to victory. Ben Stokes, who was recently named captain, led this victory. Fans came to refer to the team's aggressive and upbeat style of cricket as "Bazball," which was characterized by a fearless batting approach.In addition to securing the win, Root's innings became a landmark in English cricket history as it saw him surpass 10,000 career Test runs.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood showed great fight on the third morning of the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, frustrating South Africa with a gutsy last-wicket stand of 59 runs. Their partnership helped Australia stretch their second innings total to 207 and set a tough target of 282.

Australia started the day at 144 for 8. Nathan Lyon didn’t last long and was trapped LBW by Kagiso Rabada in just the second over of the morning. When Hazlewood walked in, South Africa would have expected to wrap things up quickly. But Starc and Hazlewood had other plans.

The pair battled hard and stayed at the crease for almost two hours. The pitch had eased up a bit, and the sun was out, making batting easier than the first two days. Starc, who was on 14 overnight, took full advantage of the conditions. He played with great patience and slowly built his innings. He reached a well-deserved half-century from 132 balls.

Just before lunch, Marco Jansen came back to bowl and got an edge off Starc’s bat, but the ball flew over the slips for four. That shot not only brought up Starc’s fifty but also raised the fifty-run partnership for the last wicket. It was Starc’s eighth Test fifty from the No. 9 position or lower the most by any tailender in Test history.

With no breakthrough in sight, South African captain Temba Bavuma turned to part-time bowler Aiden Markram. The move paid off. After bowling a tight first over, Markram got Hazlewood out for 17 from 53 balls in his second over, ending Australia’s innings.

ALSO READ: GLO vs SOM Dream11 Prediction Today: Fantasy Cricket Tips PlayingXI and Pitch Report

Twitter reactions after Strac Scored 50 in WTC Final

Playing 100 balls as a bowler is not everyone's cup of tea#AUSvSA #WTCFinal #MitchelStarc pic.twitter.com/X7C7eqKFSj

— Memes Banisalu (@Memes_Banisalu) June 13, 2025

No arrogance
No self obsession
No attitude
Never played for economy
No unnecessary rest
No choking in knockouts
No illegal action
Can hold bat too

Ladies and gentleman that's Mitchell Starc for you 🐐pic.twitter.com/umDrH9rxsf

— D.🇲🇰 (@dkhive102) June 13, 2025

Mitchell Starc is a bowler❌
Mitchell Starc is a Batsman❌

Mitchell Starc is an all-rounder ✅ pic.twitter.com/s3avWX5oc1

— Lokesh Saini🚩 (@LokeshVirat18K) June 13, 2025

🚨Hats off to Starc!🚨

You may somehow escape Mitchell Starc’s fire-breathing bowling, but then comes his fearless batting will break your defense. A true match-winner and one of the greatest players of this generation.

-Huge respect for Starc 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gSQdvAbTAf

— Niik (@Niiki099) June 13, 2025

A knock that made the coach smile, the captain happy, and his wife proud👏

Mitchell Starc won’t forget this one for a long time. pic.twitter.com/tDpuTaotR0

— Root Jaiswal (@JaiswalRoot) June 13, 2025

Mitchell Starc with Bat - 👽
Mitchell Starc with Ball - 💀 pic.twitter.com/r6wJDaKqwr

— legendary GOATS (@goats_legend) June 13, 2025

Another day, another match-winning spell from Starc!
How lucky is Australia to have this legend still firing on all cylinders? 🇦🇺🏆 #MitchellStarc #GOAT pic.twitter.com/LmIp6doG5k

— vikash Kumar Sinha (@vikashaps) June 13, 2025

Set aside his bowling — when the team’s in deep trouble, he steps up with the bat. Walked in at 72/7 and dragged them to a fighting 207, facing the most balls.
Clutch performer in knockout games, every single time! 🔥#WTCFinal #MitchellStarc pic.twitter.com/jmuCXVkyC6

— Srinath Roychowdhury (@SrinathRoychow1) June 13, 2025

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has floated a suggestion for a two-tier system in Test cricket while the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final is on. Highlighting the lack of competitiveness among some teams, Chopra pointed out that certain nations have failed to come anywhere near securing a spot in the WTC final across the last three cycles. His proposal arrives as Australia plays South Africa in the last WTC final of 2025 at Lord's, with the defending champions having a 218-run advantage and just two second-innings wickets in hand going into the third day of Friday, June 13.

Talking in a video on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former opener queried the existing structure of Test cricket, contending that a tiered system could better balance out the competition. He pointed out that certain teams have consistently been below the top three rankings across the six years of WTC cycles, and there is a question over their position in the elite group. Chopra is making this comment because he noticed that the WTC was brought in to provide context to Test matches, but the absence of real contest between all teams prevents this aim from being realized.

Chopra explained his fears, saying, "Should Test cricket be divided into tiers? WTC was introduced since the ICC started realizing that Test cricket no longer has as much thrill. So they said they would put a little context in every match. The story is that the context has come, but where will you get the contest from?" He further added, "In my opinion, there is no contest because it's been six years since the start of WTC cycles; the last match of the third cycle is being played, but some teams have never come even close to the top three. Do they actually deserve to be in the top tier? Why is everyone in the same tier?"

Also Read: MLC 2025, NY vs TEX Match 2: Oakland Coliseum cricket stadium stats and Head to Head

Chopra's Call for Reform

Chopra's suggestion of a two-tier Test cricket system will make the game more competitive by aligning teams according to their performance in WTC cycles. Dividing stronger teams from weaker ones struggling to compete, he feels the format would bring back the excitement and make the contests more meaningful, settling the imbalance that has haunted the championship.

Watch the video here:

Day 2 of the  World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 at Lord's was a gripping, bowler-dominated spectacle, with 14 wickets tumbling. South Africa began the day at 43/4 and were bowled out for 138 in 57.1 overs, conceding a 74-run lead to Australia’s first-innings total of 212. Australia reached 144/8 in their second innings, Leading by 218 runs at stumps. Pat Cummins' sensational 6/28 and Kagis Rabada's 3/44 were the standout bowlers on Day 2, while Alex Carey’s resilient batting kept Australia in control, setting the stage for a thrilling Day 3.

South Africa 1st Innings: Bowled Out for 138

South Africa began at 43/4 (22 overs) but collapsed to 138/10 in 57.1 overs. Temba Bavuma (36 off 84, 4 fours, 1 six) and David Bedingham (45 off 111, 6 fours) gave some resistance through a 50-run fifth-wicket stand, driving the total to 93/4. But Pat Cummins' superb 6/28 in 18.1 overs inspired a stunning collapse. Cummins, on his 300th Test scalp, sent back Bavuma, Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (13 off 39, lbw), Marco Jansen (0 off 3, caught), Keshav Maharaj (7 off 15, run-out), and Kagiso Rabada (1 off 6, caught). Mitchell Starc (2/41) got rid of Aiden Markram (0 off 2) and Ryan Rickelton (16 off 34), and Josh Hazlewood (1/27) sent back Tristan Stubbs (2 off 13). Lungi Ngidi (8 off 22, Nathan Lyon bowled, 1/23) was the last wicket, and the last six wickets contributed 45 runs (12 extras included). South Africa's failure to capitalize on their overnight position gave Australia a 74-run lead.

Australia 2nd Innings: 144/8, Lead by 218

The second innings of Australia totaled 144/8 in 40 overs, increasing their lead to 218 runs. Alex Carey's belligerent 43 off 50 (5 fours) and Mitchell Starc's undefeated 16 off 47 between them crafted a match-winning 61-run eighth-wicket partnership, taking Australia from 73/7. Kagiso Rabada (3/44) sent early strikes to Usman Khawaja (6 off 23, caught), Cameron Green (0 off 2, caught), and Carey (lbw). Lungi Ngidi (3/35) sent packing Steve Smith (13 off 25, lbw), Beau Webster (9 off 11, lbw), and Pat Cummins (6 off 5, lbw). Marco Jansen (1/31) sent back Marnus Labuschagne (22 off 64), and Wiaan Mulder (1/14) removed Travis Head (9 off 18). South Africa's fielding errors, such as dropped catches and no-balls by Rabada, helped Australia secure a huge lead. Nathan Lyon (1* off 4) and Starc were present on the field at stumps, with Australia in command.

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WTC Final 2025 – Day 2 Match Scorecard: South Africa vs Australia

South Africa 1st Innings – 138/10 (57.1 Overs)

Australia 2nd Innings – 144/8 (40 Overs)

From 126/6 to 138/10, that's the path of a storm named Pat Cummins. In a final at the iconic Lord's, the captain of team Australia unveiled his best when his team needed it the most.

With the help of skipper Temba Bavuma, South Africa was dreaming of making a comeback in the World Test Championship Final (WTC Final) when the leader of the defending champion struck. Cummins first hammered on the main pillar of the SA batting unit, Temba Bavuma; thanks to Marnus Labuschagne for the outstanding diving catch in the cover region.

When Bavuma departed, South Africa was on 94 for 5, and David Bedingham looked well controlled. Cummins started the carnage with the red ball in hand from the 52nd over. One by one he plucked the wickets of Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada. Before these 4 wickets, he got the wickets of Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder. In total, 6 wickets haul—18.1-6-28-6—that's the bowling figure of Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australia cricket team.

Read More: Watch: Pat Cummins ripper gets Wiaan Mulder's wicket in SA vs AUS WTC Final

Performance like a champion 

The Aussies have started the match as the clear favorite. But Kagiso Rabada made the contest more intense with his fifer, and Cummins replied with 6. Australia scored 212 in the first innings, and South Africa owned 138. 

Cricket fans are absolutely stunned to witness the class of Pat Cummins under such a pressure situation. For now, Australia is leading the race, but South Africa has ample space to make a comeback in the 'ultimate test.' 

The best-ever bowling figures by a captain in a Test at Lord's!

Simply incredible from Pat Cummins 🤩 pic.twitter.com/e6itwIrDFc

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 12, 2025

🚨 Pat Cummins becomes the first Captain to pick up a 5 wicket haul at Lord's after 17 Years...! pic.twitter.com/sANk3ZfDnH

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) June 12, 2025

Pat Cummins 6/28 V South Africa in #WTCfinal

- Best bowling figures in WTC & ICC finals
- Best bowling figures by a captain at Lord's
- 300 Test wkts
- Lead wkt taker in WTC 2023-25
- Lead wkt taker in ICC finals across formats

The leader, player & legend he is👏 🐐 pic.twitter.com/NBkZqBYcT3

— AYESHA (@JoeRoot66Fan) June 12, 2025

Pat Cummins is one of the smartest bowlers in the game. Never saw him go dull after an intentional bouncer. Just look at ball 51.3 set up Verreynne perfectly, then nailed him with a booming inner. Genius. I almost called it right after that bouncer something is gonna happen pic.twitter.com/0E7N2hbKxi

— GUY (@whattaaguyy) June 12, 2025

Lights were brightest, Stage was biggest, opposition was the best. Sir Pat Cummins arrived and thrived.

BEST TEST BOWLER IN THE WORLD. pic.twitter.com/RBO8WMdWYd

— Rafi (@rafi4999) June 12, 2025

A dismal show with the bat from the Proteas have given Australia a healthy 74-run lead going into the second innings of the ongoing World Test Championship Final clash. The fact that they were way behind the race this early did not seem to bother the South African speedster Kagiso Rabada. During the second Australian innings, Rabada once again managed to get the better of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green, very reminiscent of the way he did in the first innings. In fact, what was more fascinating to see was the way the two batters were removed almost instantly in quick succession. 

During the 11th over, Rababa ran riot at the Aussie batters and drew the first blood by having Khawaja nick to Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps. The wheels were set in motion as only a couple of balls later, Green followed suit and got out exactly the same way he did in the first innings. Being tentative with his footwork, Green poked hard, and the ball flew off his outside edge and into the hands of Mulder at second slip. 

See also: [WATCH] WTC Final 2025: Kyle Verreynne takes stunning one-handed catch down leg side to dismiss Travis Head in SA vs AUS

Watch the double-blow carnage unfold:

Wait… this isn’t a replay of the first innings? 👀#KagisoRabada strikes twice in an over again, removing #UsmanKhawaja and #CameronGreen in quick succession! 💪🏻

Is this the spark 🇿🇦 needed to ignite a comeback in the #WTCFinal?

LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/w3cUVnQ8YL#SAvAUS |… pic.twitter.com/xCEE57q3DU

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 12, 2025

The double-blow from Rabada in that over may have given South Africa a spark and perhaps a glimmer of hope to make a comeback of sorts. But despite that early wobble, Australia are well and truly in the driver's seat and lead by a mammoth 117 runs at the time of writing. South Africa will certainly rue the fact that their batters failed to cash in after the lunch interval and disintegrated rather quickly to give Australia a massive advantage. But all their hopes are now pinned on Rabada as he seems to be the one who is doing all the hard work to keep South Africa's WTC aspirations alive.

The second day of the ongoing World Test Championship Final (WTC) match saw a very intriguing incident unfold. Just at the stroke of lunch inside the 49th over, South African batter David Bedingham got himself involved in a very tricky situation. The Protea batter came mighty close to being out by handling the ball. But thankfully, the umpires didn't seem to think there was a very strong case of handling the ball and gave the benefit of the doubt to the batter.   

While facing Webster, Bedingham tried to go for the drive, but the sharp inward movement off the seam brushed the inside edge of his bat and later lodged into the flap of his inner pad before nearly popping out. Before Carey could go for the catch, Bedingham removed the ball from his pad and dropped it on the ground. This got the Aussies excited, as a couple of appeals were heard mainly by Khawaja and Smith. The two on-field umpires, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffney, converged and eventually decided to turn down the appeal. In Illingworth's opinion, the ball seemed to have been dead before Bedingham handled the ball with his hand, hence the decision to rule him "not out".

See also: Mitchell Starc shatters massive ICC record in WTC Final against South Africa

Bedingham survives a scare at Lord's

A controversy involving the Aussies at Lord's, you say? 😬

The ball didn't seem fully dead before the South African batter handled it... should this have been given out in the #WTCFinal? >> https://t.co/FUwQtegDjU pic.twitter.com/xBICUmvqqs

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) June 12, 2025

According to the rules laid down by the International Cricket Council and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the ball becomes dead as soon as the ball gets trapped in the batter's clothing or protective equipment, whether played or not.

“The ball becomes dead when whether played or not it becomes trapped between the bat and the person of a batter or between items of his/her clothing or equipment.”

By looking at the given scenario of Bedingham, the ball was deflected off the inside edge of the bat before lodging into his inner pad flap. At first glance, one would say that the on-field umpires arrived at the correct decision. But critics argue that the ball was not entirely dead. This incident has triggered mixed reactions from users on social media, most of whom have claimed that the ball was still moving when Bedingham had willfully removed it with his arm. 

Speaking of the current state of the game, Australian quicks rattled the Proteas immediately after lunch, picking up two quick wickets of Verreynne and Jansen to leave South Africa seven down for 135 with Bendigham unbeaten on 45. 

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma was mobilizing well against Australia until Marnus Labuschagne pulled out a blinder at the cover region. Bamuva connected with the ball in the middle of his bat; the connection was on point, and the ball was about to go through the cover, but there was Marnus, always an electrifying presence on the field, doing an unthinkable job on a Pat Cummins over.

He threw his body at the right side and grabbed the ball low before a blink of an eye. Temba Bavuma departed after scoring 36 off 84 balls. The right-handed batter took an attacking approach against the fiery Australian bowling combination from the beginning of Day 2, and he succeeded in his plan for a while.

On Day 1, when the defending champion side picked up 4 wickets before the stumps, Bavuma was all about defense. On Day 2, a completely different approach from him: counterattack to oppose an attack. The SA leader hit 4 glorious fours and one maximum during his 84-ball stint. 

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Josh Hazlewood also troubled Temba Bavuma 

Before that stunning catch, Bamuva narrowly escaped an LBW just because of the Decision Review System. Bavuma, then on 17, and South Africa, on 66 for the loss of 4 wickets, signaled for a decision review. After recapping the incident on screen with the help of high-tech technologies, the third umpire reversed the decision and decided to announce "not out" to the Protean skipper, and thus how Temba Bavuma has survived. Apart from the DRS moment, Bavuma's innings was a display of the class he possessed. He played some pure cricketing shots on the lush grass field of the Lord's, which were pure joy to watch. 

Before the launch, South Africa lost 5 wickets for 121. David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne were on the crease with 39 and 11 runs, respectively. 

Watch the stunning catch here

 

 

 

 

 

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Australian ace pacer Mitchell Starc achieves a monumental record on day one of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's. The 36-year-old left-arm quick snapped two quick wickets at the end of the day's play to reduce South Africa to 43-4 at stumps. Starc accounted for the dismissals of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton to become the highest wicket-taker in an ICC Final. Starc has a tally of 11 wickets so far in the ICC Finals, surpassing India's Mohammed Shami, who has 10 wickets.

Furthermore, he also becomes the second-highest wicket-taker in ICC Knockout games, being at par with the legendary pace bowling sensation Glenn McGrath. He now needs two more wickets to better his tally and go past Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (23), who currently claims the top spot. 

See also: WATCH: Mitchell Starc's ripper gets Aiden Markram for duck in SA vs AUS WTC Final

Starc overshadows Shami to become the highest wicket-taker in ICC Finals

Mitchell Starc overtakes Mohammed Shami for the most wickets in major men's ICC tournament finals. 🤯🔥#Cricket #Starc #Shami #WTC pic.twitter.com/zN3ef466wJ

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) June 12, 2025

The New South Wales-born pacer has been an exceptional performer for Australia across all formats. Starc is a genuine match-winner and has a proven track record of delivering in big matches. The pacer has 707 wickets (and counting) in all formats, with a major chunk of them (384) coming from Test cricket. Starc can be equally devastating with the new ball as well as the old ball. With his express pace and naturally tall height, Starc can not only trouble the batters with lateral movement, but can also cause a few hiccups with his short-pitched deliveries. 

After being dismissed rather prematurely for 212 (despite a promising stand between Smith and Webster), the Aussie quicks launched a successful late assault to leave South Africa reeling by the end of day one. Starc wreaked havoc with the ball by dismissing Markram through the gate and later followed it up by delivering a delightful ball to Rickelton, getting him caught in the slips.