WTC Final: Here's why these 3 players can decide Australia vs South Africa

By Sridhar Bhamidi

09 Jun 2025

Sridhar Bhamidi 09 Jun 2025

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WTC Final: Here's why these 3 players can decide Australia vs South Africa
This edition final will see Australia look for a second consecutive WTC title and South Africa gunning for their first
Watch out for Steve Smith, Kagiso Rabada, and Pat Cummins

Can Australia repeat the trick and win their second WTC title in a row? (Getty Images)

WTC Final: Here's why these 3 players can decide Australia vs South Africa

After a season of ups and downs, the World Test Championship final is upon us. Starting on Wednesday, June 11th, Australia and South Africa fight to be crowned the world champions in Test cricket. The iconic venue of Lord’s in London will be the venue.

WTC Final: Here's why these 3 players can decide Australia vs South Africa
Steve Smith
Kagiso Rabada
Pat Cummins

There’s no dearth of motivation for both teams. South Africa haven’t won a global title of note in any format, and this trophy is expected to spur a new generation of cricketers. For Australia, winning is a habit of the teams of old, and Pat Cummins would love to guide them to back-to-back trophies ahead of a crucial Ashes campaign.

That brings us to three players we believe will likely play a crucial role in deciding the destination of the trophy.

Steve Smith

Probably one of the best batsmen of this generation, Smith comes into the final on the back of some impressive results. He surpassed the coveted 10,000 run mark recently and has four centuries in his last five Tests. He also loves playing at this venue, having scored 525 runs in five Tests, averaging 58.33, with two centuries and two half-centuries.

He's also on the cusp of some landmark records. Smith is 60 runs shy of the record of most runs by a visiting player at this venue (13 of his runs came against Pakistan, where Lord’s was the neutral venue). He also needs one more 50+ score to own the record for the most fifty-plus scores by visiting batters in England.

Kagiso Rabada

Notwithstanding his latest drug ban controversy, Rabada is one of the reasons why South Africa can win the title. He has 327 Test wickets for his nation and needs just four more to go past Allan Donald in the list of highest wicket takers for South Africa.

Rabada loves playing at Lord’s, having taken 13 wickets in his two Tests played at this venue. What's more, he enjoys his battles with Smith, managing to dismiss the Australian four times in 15 innings at a strike rate of 32.

Pat Cummins

It’s not easy being Cummins, but he’s managed to weave his magic around the Australian side. Having taken charge of the side under difficult circumstances, he managed to win the WTC title last time around, leading them to a win over India in the final.

He has been in cracking form in this WTC cycle, picking up 73 wickets in the 17 matches. Overall, he has 294 wickets in 67 Tests and is just six scalps shy of becoming the eighth Australian to bag 300 Test wickets. Can the captain deliver another world title for the Kangaroos?

There’s a lot riding on this final, so much so that players on both sides have voiced their opinion of having a multi-game final. That said, the lure of being crowned the world champions is enough to bring the best out of the 22 players set to take the field.

Will the three we mentioned decide the outcome of the WTC final? What do you reckon?