New opening pair of Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja to face the music to begin WTC final
Marnus Labuschagne will face the music straight away in his first Test as opener with Australia sent in against South Africa in the World Test Championship final.
South African skipper Temba Bavuma opted to give his quicks first use of the Lord’s surface after winning the toss on Wednesday where play is set to begin at 7.30pm AEST and a capacity crowd is expected for at least the first four days.
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There were no late changes after Bavuma and Australian counterpart Pat Cummins announced their XIs on match eve, with Australia opting for a new-look top three while South Africa are fielding an inexperienced one of their own in the Test decider.
Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Labuschagne and Cameron Green, returning the side at No.3 after back surgery, are both in positions they’ve never batted before in Test cricket and are set for a testing time on the opening morning against the mighty Kagiso Rabada and towering left-armer Marco Jansen.
Usman Khawaja also has a point to prove after a difficult home summer up against India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in seaming conditions where he only passed 50 once on Boxing Day at the MCG.
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Australia are seeking to become the first team to win multiple World Test Championship titles in the tournament’s third edition, while the Proteas are hoping to overturn a sorry history at ICC events to secure their first major title.
Australia haven’t lost at Lord’s batting first since 1896, winning seven of those 11 matches, including their most recent visit in 2023.
Bavuma said the pitch looked good, but the overcast skies would be “favourable with the new ball” and dictated his decision to bowl first.
“I think we have selected the best team for these conditions, everyone is confident,” he said.
“You can hear the South African accents as well in the stands. So it should be a spectacle.”
Cummins wouldn’t reveal what he would have done had he won the toss, only saying his side was “happy to bat first”.
“Preparation has been unreal,” he said. “There have been 15 guys pushing for that final XI. All the guys in the team are ready to go.
“I don’t think there’s any extra pressure (as the defending champions). We’ve been there before and won it, so this week is just about going out and enjoying it.”
World Test Championship Final
June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord’s
Broadcast exclusively on Prime Video in Australia. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne
