Key insights gleaned from the World Test Championship final:
Sparkling Victory at Lord's: South Africa Takes Home the T20 World Cup
It ain't every day you see a team breaking free from years of heartache, and that's exactly what happened when South Africa snatched victory at the T20 World Cup, all thanks to Aiden Markram's outstanding hundred and captain Temba Bavuma's valuable fifty. This monumental win brought an end to a Long line of tournament disappointments for the Proteas at the one-day international and T20 World Cups.
Let's dive into three key takeaways from this thrilling final at Lord's.
Test Cricket: More Than Just the Big Three
In a world where there's a growing concern that red-ball cricket might become the exclusive domain of the 'Big Three' - England, Australia, and India - it's heartening to see another nation, New Zealand, take the WTC trophy in its inaugural year. This tiny victory serves as proof that Test cricket remains competitive, despite fear of the Big Three's dominance.
Unfortunately, South Africa will be absent from hosting a Test during the upcoming 2025/26 season. Nonetheless, there were more supporters cheering for Bavuma's team at Lord's than at a local Test match in recent memory. To revitalize Test cricket and bridge the WTC's gaping flaws, discuss is underway about setting up a Test match fund to help aid financially struggling nations in staging five-day matches. Bavuma himself emphasized, "We want to play more Test cricket. We want to play against the bigger nations. So I think this will go a long way in making us a lot more attractive."
Australia's Missed Preparation
The fast bowlers stood out on both sides, as 28 wickets tumbled on the first two days. Some questioned whether the pitch was too advantageous for fast bowlers, but research by analysts at CricViz revealed less movement in some areas than usual for Lord's. Lack of proper preparation was far more likely the culprit behind the batsmen's struggles adapting to the English conditions.
The batting lineup could have put on a formidable score, allowing them to brainstorm the opposition out of the game. Alas, Australia had nary a practice match in England. The experienced Steve Smith managed to chalk up the solitary fifty by a specialist Australia batsman in the final, but it wasn't nearly enough to secure victory.
Catch Me If You Can: Fielding Wins the Day
The age-old adage "catches win matches" echoed powerfully during the first day, as South Africa's electrifying fielding effort backed up their fast bowlers superbly. An outstanding catching display backed Kagiso Rabada - who went on to take an impressive nine wickets in the match – making each ball count from the word go.
Conversely, advanced slip Steve Smith's drop of Bavuma, early in the run chase, helped South Africa seize the lead.
© 2025 AFP
Enrichment Insights:
- Improving financial support for Test cricket in poorer nations is a topic of ongoing discussion, including potential adjustments in ICC funding structures to include more nations in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
- The current focus of the ICC is to enhance the competitiveness and financial viability of Test cricket through initiatives like the WTC, despite facing challenges in equitable game scheduling and revenue sharing.
India is discussing setting up a Test match fund to aid financially struggling nations, with the aim of revitalizing Test cricket and making it more competitive. In Africa, South Africa's victory at the T20 World Cup prompted discussions about increasing international sports participation for countries on the continent.
