Pat Cummins: Both Australia and South Africa have announced their playing XIs for the summit clash, starting June 11.
Pat Cummins: The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final is all set to witness Australia defend their title against a strong South African side, who will be featuring in their first finale in three editions. Ahead of this clash, former Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra and Harbhajan Singh have shared their thoughts on the contest and the factors that could determine the outcome of the match.
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The Pat Cummins led side will be riding high on confidence after featuring in their second consecutive WTC title, having defeated India in the 2023 final. South Africa, under Temba Bavuma, is making their first appearance in a WTC final after dominating in the two-year cycle. While Australia starts as favourites, South Africa’s run to the final has been impressive.
Aakash Chopra analysed the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. He pointed out that Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins is expected to be a big threat to the South African batting line-up.
“Pat Cummins is the biggest threat. His leadership, his bowling when there is a partnership, his batting lower down the order—he contributes across departments. He leads from the front and always keeps the opposition under pressure,” he told JioStar.
Pat Cummins is one of those leaders who brings everyone together: Harbhajan Singh
Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh expressed his views on Cummins as a leader and also stressed how Nathan Lyon and Travis Head could play a big role in the summit clash.
“Cummins is one of those leaders who brings everyone together. More importantly, he’s a proven match-winner with great command in the dressing room. When your team respects and rallies behind you, you win more matches. That’s what makes him a very special captain for Australia. Nathan Lyon can be a threat, especially since South Africa doesn’t play spin too well. He’s a champion bowler—conditions don’t bother him. He’s always in the game. And one man who can take the game away quickly is Travis Head. He doesn’t just move the score forward, he moves the match forward. If he bats well, he’ll be key,” Harbhajan said.
The former Indian spinner further mentioned that the Australian team has a significant advantage considering their experience playing in English conditions, compared to South Africa, who last toured England in 2022.
“Australia will come prepared. They’ve played a lot of cricket in England—Ashes, the last WTC Final—and that experience will count. They understand these conditions better than South Africa does. Plus, they’re a champion side. The difference lies in how you handle pressure during big matches, and Aussies are masters at that. That’s why they’ve won more trophies than anyone else,” he added.
