Predicting Australia’s Playing XI for WTC Final against South Africa

The defending World Test Champions, Australia, will take on South Africa in the final of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. The summit clash of the prestigious cricket biennial will take place at the iconic Lord’s in London from June 11 to June 15. The Aussies have been in a brilliant run of form in the recent couple of Tests in the ongoing WTC cycle. 

Pat Cummins’ men have won four out of the last five games, including a drawn game against India. Now, they will aim to win the WTC 2023-25 final against South Africa and clinch their second consecutive WTC title in a row. 

With that said, here we’ll have a look at the predicted playing XI of Australia for the WTC 2023-25 final against South Africa. 

Openers  

The opening pair of the Aussies in the WTC final against the Proteas will include the veteran batter, Usman Khawaja and the teenage talent Sam Konstas. The duo showed a brilliant promise against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Khawaja has scored 652 runs in the last 10 games with a decent batting average of 38.35. 

On the other hand, Sam Konstas, in his brief but impressive Test career, which started against India in BGT 2024-25, has scored 113 runs in four innings with an average of 28.25, hitting a half-century. He will be a good choice for the Aussie management to start the innings. 

Middle-Order  

The middle-order of Australia will start with the star in-form number three batter Marnus Labuschagne, who is known for his excellence in red-ball cricket. He could be a crucial asset with the bat while batting at number three in this all-important game against South Africa. Labuschagne will be followed by the former skipper and the modern-day batting legend, Steve Smith, at number four. 

Smith has scored 734 runs in his last 10 Tests, with an impressive batting average of 45.88. He is capable of scoring a big knock to put Australia on the front foot against the power-packed bowling lineup of the Proteas. Travis Head and wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey, both batters can score some crucial runs in the middle 0rder. 

All-Rounders  

Tasmania star Beau Webster might be picked as a specialist all-rounder in the Aussie playing XI for the WTC final. He has scored 150 runs in four innings in his short but impressive Test career, which he started against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Webster has scored these runs with an outstanding batting average of 50.00, hitting a half-century. 

Besides that, he can also play a vital role with his off-spin bowling, accompanying the veteran spinner Nathan Lyon in the bowling attack. So, the 31-year-old could be a perfect choice as an all-rounder in Australia’s final XI against South Africa. 

Bowlers

The core bowling attack of the reigning champions is expected to include their three premium and out-and-out pacers, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and skipper Pat Cummins. Starc has scalped 34 wickets in the last 10 Tests, with an impressive economy rate of 3.41. Besides that, Hazlewood is also coming off his brilliant performances in the recently concluded IPL 2025. Skipper Cummins could be an important asset with the ball for his side in this title game.

This pace trio will be accompanied by the veteran spinner and off-spin great, Nathan Lyon, who has scalped 41 wickets in the last 10 games, with an outstanding economy rate of just 2.85. So, it will be a perfect bowling attack for the holders to come up with in the WTC final against South Africa.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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