On the eve of the World Test Championship Final, it has been difficult not to detect a level of apathy from segments of the cricketing public, with many quick to chalk the final up to be a contest that may not live up to its billing as the ‘ultimate Test’.
Central to this theme has been a collective bemoaning of the quality of the South African side, and their ‘soft’ run to the final, which saw them avoid series against Australia and England on their way to qualifying.
Former England great Jimmy Anderson is the latest cricketing icon to cry foul of the Proteas entry into Test cricket’s prized event, claiming the South African side qualified for the decider by not beating anyone of note.
And while the Proteas took the path of least resistance to book their ticket to Lord’s, those who have been so quick to dismiss this South African side could be made to look foolish should the Proteas prevail in London.
While not boasting the household names of South African sides in years gone by, this iteration of the Proteas has punched above its weight across the cycle to win seven of their last eight Tests and will fancy its chances to cause a seismic upset at the home of cricket.
No player has punched above their weight – physically and figuratively – more than the skipper Temba Bavuma.
The diminutive 35-year-old leads the unheralded side, and has transformed his career from a maligned middle order batsman who struggled to convert starts, to become the fulcrum of the Proteas batting lineup.
He has averaged in excess of 50 across the past four calendar years, and has emerged as one of the most consistent and compact batters in the world game.
The highly touted Aidan Markram has teased through his 45-Test career, but is prodigiously talented and has a superb record against Australia, having struck two centuries and a fifty in the infamous Sandpaper-gate series in 2018.
The final leg to Lord’s has begun! ????️
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) May 7, 2025
From grit to glory, it’s all been leading to this final test of character.
Let’s bring home the Mace! ????????????????#WTC25 #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #ProteasWTCFinal pic.twitter.com/JOZqhBrPGe
The 30-year-old boasts a dreamy cover drive and has the stroke play to put pressure back on the Australian seamers. He shapes as pivotal to South Africa’s prospects of building a competitive total with the bat.
Joining Markram at the top will be 28-year-old Ryan Rickleton, who after churning huge runs at domestic level has found his feet in the top flight, and enters the final having made 259 in his last Test innings in Cape Town against Pakistan in January.
Multi-format youngster Tristan Stubbs will slot into the middle order, ahead of another domestic gun in David Bedingham, who has been a run machine for Durham in recent County Championship seasons and will be familiar with the English conditions.
Kyle Verryenne will don the gloves, and is a capable middle order batsman who was one of the few South Africans to impress on their 2022-23 tour down under, notching two half-centuries and illustrating his industrious, albeit not aesthetic, batting technique.
With ball in hand, the Proteas boast one of the one-two punches in world cricket, with their superstar Kagiso Rabada and giant Marco Jansen sharing the new Dukes ball.
(Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Rabada is the South African talisman, and the man who Bavuma will rely on to run through the Australian top order. Having taken 327 wickets at 22.00 across 70 matches at a strike rate of 39.4, Rabada is the most penetrating quick in world cricket and a fiery customer who will be steeling himself for a big contest at Lord’s.
The towering Jansen provides a point of difference in the attack, with the left-armer able to generate steepling bounce from his height of 2.06m, while also giving the Proteas good depth in their batting lineup as an accomplished lower order player. At just 25 years old, he is one of the most appetising prospects on the international scene.
Against an Australian top order that is vulnerable against quality pace, Rabada and Jansen’s opening spells will hold the key to South Africa’s chances of restricting the Aussies to a modest first innings total.
In the spin department, Keshav Maharaj provides a reliable option with his left arm orthodox tweakers having taken almost 200 Test scalps, while Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson and Corbin Bosch will fight for the third seamer position, with Paterson perhaps having his nose in front being vastly experienced in English conditions across multiple county stints.
The Australians will go to Lord’s as rightful favourites, with Pat Cummins’ side having conquered all before them under his reign.
They are more seasoned and experienced at international level and it would surprise to see them not walk away with a second consecutive test championship.
But under Bavuma, the South Africans have have morphed into a workmanlike side, who have defied their own cricket board and dwindling finances to qualify for test cricket’s ultimate event.
In a Test landscape that is increasingly ‘Big Three’ centric, a South African victory would be a triumph or the relevance of the game’s purest format outside of Australia, India and England.
And should Bavuma lift the mace at Lord’s, it will go down as one of the great Test match victories from a side who will have proven greater than the sum of its parts, both on and off the pitch.
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