Pat Cummins’ Australia Fails to Defend WTC Title as South Africa Clinches Historic Win. In the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final at Lord’s, London, Pat Cummins-led Australia fell short as South Africa, captained by Temba Bavuma, claimed a stunning five-wicket victory to lift the mace.
After winning the toss, South Africa chose to bowl first and made the most of the conditions. Kagiso Rabada led the charge with a brilliant five-wicket haul, helping dismiss Australia for 212 in their first innings. However, the Aussies bounced back strongly with the ball, skittling out South Africa for just 138 runs, with Pat Cummins claiming six wickets to etch his name on the Lord’s Honours Board.
Pat Cummins: In the second innings, Australia managed 207 runs, thanks to a gritty unbeaten fifty from Mitchell Starc, setting South Africa a challenging target of 282. The Proteas responded in style—Aiden Markram smashed a century while Bavuma contributed a crucial half-century—to steer their side to a memorable win.
With this triumph, South Africa ended a 27-year drought to capture a major ICC title, marking a historic moment in their cricketing journey.
Pat Cummins: South Africa Fully Deserved the Championship
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Australian captain Pat Cummins acknowledged South Africa’s triumph, saying they were worthy winners. He praised their ability to stay in the contest and capitalize on key moments.
“Aiden [Markram] was outstanding. South Africa were deserved champions — they stayed in the game and seized their opportunity. Things can turn quickly in cricket, but this was a hurdle too high for us. We had a decent first-innings lead and gave it our best to bowl them out, but it just didn’t work out,” Cummins said.
He added, “The pitch seemed to flatten a bit, though conditions here can change quickly — sadly, they didn’t. [Nathan] Lyon looked dangerous, but he couldn’t pick up a wicket.”
Despite the loss, Cummins had a stellar individual campaign, finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. The Aussie pacer took 80 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 23.48 across 35 innings.
He claimed 18 wickets in the 2023 Ashes series against England, 19 wickets in three matches against Pakistan, and an impressive 25 wickets in the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India — making him the top performer with the ball for Australia.
