Australia, as has been the norm in ICC tournaments, start as firm favourites yet again in the World Test Championship 2025 final at Lord's, even as South Africa finished marginally ahead in the standings. Their 15-member squad has 772 Test caps between them, about double that of South Africa's 367. 11 Australian players have played at least once in England, with 120 appearances combined; the corresponding number for nine South Africa players is 28. A glaring measure for the contrast in experience: Steven Smith has 2255 Test runs in England, which is three times that of the combined tally of 771 of the entire South African squad. Each of Australia's four lead bowlers has 50-plus Test wickets in the country; the overall number for South Africa bowlers is 62.
WTC final: Will Australia have an advantage?
History, however, has repeatedly thrown up miraculous results against all odds. Given the two line-ups, the contest is largely down to Australia's batters against South Africa bowlers. Here's a look at the key factors that could play a definitive role in the WTC 2025 final:
What does the venue hold?
Both teams have a stellar record at Lord's. Australia enjoy an all-time win-loss ratio of 2.571 at the Home of Cricket, superior to England's 1.685. They have lost just two out of the 23 Tests at the venue post WWII, winning 12 of them, while nine ended in draws. South Africa, meanwhile, have won five of the seven Tests at Lord's since their readmission, losing one, and comfortably batting out 167 overs to earn a draw after a 346-run first-innings deficit
