Back in 1912, Australia and South Africa were part of a triangular Test series which also included England. It was unique in the sense that for long periods, Test matches have been confined to bilateral series. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a damp squib with rains playing havoc and the Australian cricketers having some internal problems with their board. That triangular tournament, however, was the closest that cricket came to hosting a World Test Championship for over 100 years.
It was only in 2019 that the International Cricket Council (ICC) conceptualised and implemented a World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Since then, a couple of Test Championships have been held. Yes, there have been murmurs about some teams ending up playing weaker sides. And the WTC final being hosted in England all the time. Despite some negativity associated with the tournament, it has turned out to be a relative success. Now, we are nearing the end of the third cycle with South Africa taking on Australia in the summit clash at Lord’s.
Australia, the defending champions, will start as favourites. They have an ageing but formidable batting unit, with the likes of Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne still spearheading it. Travis Head is another key component of the side. There is also Cameron Green, who is returning to the set-up from a back injury. The well-built all-rounder has already showcased his class with the bat in the longest format, illustrated by his unbeaten 174 in Wellington – a match in which his team was in a spot of bother.
The sub-plot to the batting order is who will open alongside Khawaja? Will it be the young Sam Konstas, who played with a dash of bravado against Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG? Or will they ask Labuschagne to move up a slot? Perhaps it would be Labuschagne. The Australian No. 3, however, has been out of form for a while. In his last 25 Tests, Labuschagne averages a tick over 30 and has accumulated just one hundred.
If Labuschagne does indeed get promoted, then Beau Webster could come into the equation at No. 6. The 6’6″ Webster is a resourceful cricketer: A competent batter who can play in the middle order, along with bowling some pace and spin. If there is any grass on the wicket, his ability to bowl with control and extract bounce could come in handy.
The experienced pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are set to reunite. Scott Boland was impressive in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India’s right-hand batters, in particular, couldn’t decipher his methods. However, with Hazlewood back to full fitness, he might have to sit out again. Alex Carey, a vital cog in the middle order, will don the gloves. Last but not least, there is the veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon. The bowler who believes in keeping it simple: Plugging away on an off-stump line and imparting overspin.
What about South Africa? Can the Temba Bavuma-led side end South Africa’s ICC-trophy drought? They haven’t won a senior ICC trophy since triumphing in the 1998 Knockout tournament. Yes, South Africa will be viewed as underdogs, but they still have enough in their arsenal to hurt Australia. Kagiso Rabada may not be the bowler that he was in shorter formats, but in Test cricket, he is still a force to reckon with.
The very tall Marco Jansen has been a genuine wicket-taker in this format. It isn’t just about Jansen’s left-arm angle and his tendency to pitch it up and look for movement. But with Jansen having such a high release, the batter can’t hope to keep his eyes level. Instead, he has to always look up to watch the release point. Nandre Burger as the third seamer might have boosted South Africa’s chances. Unfortunately, he is injured.
The onus will be on Lungi Ngidi to prove some of his critics wrong. There is a school of thought that believes the experienced pacer has lost a bit of nip. Ultimately, it comes down to which pace attack is able to implement their plans better at Lord’s, especially from the Pavilion End. The basic template could be bowling a good length, top of off stump, most of the deliveries to come into the right-hand batters from that End, with the odd one straightening on the angle.
Compared to Australia, South Africa have an inexperienced batting line-up, although the likes of Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have shown promise. Meanwhile, Bavuma has turned into a dependable batter in the middle order. The South African skipper has notched up close to 1000 runs at an average of over 57 since the beginning of 2023. Aiden Markram recently composed a gritty 89 in tough conditions for batting at Centurion. Wiaan Mulder, the all-rounder, has also shown some improvements with the willow over the last one year.
In the eventual analysis, the form book indicates that Cummins and co. could be on course to defend the title. But at the same time, it would be foolish to rule out South Africa. If certain factors like the toss go in their favour, South Africa have a window of opportunity to create some history.
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