South Africa and Australia will square off in the third edition of the World Test Cricket Championship Final kicking off on Wednesday night from Lords.
The Aussies look a little unsettled in their team selections as they strive to once again claim Test cricket's ultimate prize.
We have you covered with a full preview of South Africa vs Australia with our betting tips for the clash below.
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South Africa vs Australia: World Test Championship Final Betting Tips
Lord’s Cricket Ground
Wednesday 11th June, 7.30pm (AEST)
Sandpaper to Silverware: Australia Look to Cap Off Dominant Test Era
Australia were at the depths of the international cricketing world back in 2018 when the sandpaper scandal tossed their Test team into disarray. They were unable to make the inaugural Test Championship Final as they rebuilt from that era, but since then, they have been without doubt the top Test nation in the world. They finished atop the 2023 ICC Test Championship standings with a 11-3-5 record before winning their first Test trophy against India at Lords a few years ago.
They managed to easily qualify for the final once again in the current ICC Test Championship season. Despite five match series against both England away and India at home, they recorded a 13-4-2 record to book their ticket to Lords. Usman Khawaja was the standout batsman for Australia throughout the WTC season, scoring 1,422 runs at an average of 41.8.
Proteas or Chokers? South Africa’s Shot at ICC Redemption
Will this finally be the year where South Africa break their ICC curse? They have a long standing monkey on their back when it comes to ICC tournaments, dating all the way back to the heartbreaking 1999 World Cup semi-final loss to Australia. They have made the semi-final of 5/9 ODI World Cups they have attended and more recently were defeated by India in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final.
The Proteas played just 12 games throughout this WTC Final but managed a fantastic 8-3-1 record to finish atop the standings. The highlights of their run included a home win over India and a 2-0 series sweep on the road against Pakistan.
Green Light Special? Aussie Team Prediction
It’s been quite a while since the Australian Test cricket team has entered a match with so many question marks surrounding their lineup. Although they have been the dominant Test team in the world over the past 6 years, it’s been a rare occasion when they have had a full arsenal of fit players to choose from.
Right now, you’d think seven players are locked into the lineup in Khawaja, Smith, Head, Carey, Cummins, Starc and Lyon. The other four spots are up for grabs between a host of players. It seems unlikely that the Aussies would move away from Marnus Labuschagne despite a recent run of poor form, but there is every chance he could slide up to open with Khawaja, leaving room at No.3 for Cameron Green. Beau Webster performed well in the Aussies most recent Test series and will provide fantastic variety with both bat and ball.
Arguably the biggest question surrounding the Australian XI, however, is Josh Hazlewood vs Scott Boland. Boland played well in the last WTC Final and seems really suited to Lords conditions and the Duke ball, but Hazlewood is arguably the premier seam bowler in the world, and it would be a bold move to go against him if fit. I’m predicting the Aussie selectors to stick with Hazlewood here.
Predicted Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head Top AUS Runscorer (1st Inns)
$5.50
Bat Deep or Bowl Bold? Proteas Team Prediction
The South African lineup looks slightly more settled going into the WTC Final than Australia’s, but there are certainly still a few question marks surround the final make up of their team. The majority of their question marks surround how much they want to load their bowling lineup with extra all-rounders or whether they will opt to play extra batsmen.
Marco Jansen is the key cog in their lineup and could bat anywhere from number seven to number nine depending on the makeup of the team. Personally, I think they are a better team when he bats a little higher in the order and is backed up by front-line bowlers, especially in English conditions where extra seam bowling options will be crucial. This is how I predict the lineup to look come Wednesday.
Predicted South Africa XI: Ryan Rickleton, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Marco Jansen Top SA Wickettaker (1st Inns)
$3.15
South Africa vs Australia? Our WTC Final Betting Tip
I find it difficult to remember a time when we’ve come into a Test match with this much doubt over an Australian batting lineup. The top three is going to be under extreme pressure regardless of who they select, and this South African pace attack is no joke.
Where I do think the Australians have the clear advantage, however, is in their middle order. Five, six, and seven, no matter the selection, is where the bulk of the runs will come for Australia. Travis Head and Alex Carey are coming off world beating Test series in recent years and whether they opt for Inglis or Webster sandwiched between, I think both are perfectly suited for that role.
Over recent years, it’s also become clear that this Australian bowling lineup is capable of digging the team out of any hole they find themselves in, and they generally go to a new level when they get seam friendly conditions as Lords usually offers up. South Africa have genuine match winners in the likes of Rabada, Jansen and Stubbs that could turn in a match-winning performance, but I think if you play this ten times, Australia get the chocolates on eight occasions.
