The road to the 2025 WTC final
The road to the WTC final was full of giant-sized potholes this time.
The road to the WTC final was full of giant-sized potholes this time. India were cruising towards it, and then ended up with one of the most dramatic 0-3 scorelines in the history of the sport. Sri Lanka were 5-4 heading into their last two series, which happened to be against the finalists, and they lost 0-4 in those. New Zealand started well, but lost the plot for a while, stole three wins against India, and gave back a few against England at home. As always, England decided before the WTC that it was too confusing to even look into, but morally, they have already won two WTCs, so the vibes are immaculate.
That left us with Australia and South Africa.
It is a confusing final, as South Africa are in it, and midway through this cycle they basically stopped playing Test cricket altogether. But here they both are, in an ICC final that we’ve been waiting for since the ‘90s.
So, how did these teams get here?
South Africa
India 1-1 (home)
A two Test series – unlike the three in the last couple of times. India made 245 in the first innings at Centurion, as Kagiso Rabada bagged a fifer. He dismissed three of India's top six. Playing his penultimate Test, Dean Elgar makes 185 in the following innings - taking the game away from India's grasp along with Marco Jansen. Nandre Burger picks up four in the third innings, and India are rolled over for just 131.
The Cape Town Test was on a surface rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by the ICC. We’d call it shithouse. For context, it was the shortest result game in the history of Test match cricket. They were Siraj-ed in their first innings, being bowled out for 55. India get to a comfortable 153/4 in 33 overs, but then lose their final six wickets in 11 balls for literally no runs.
Aiden Markram then does his best impression of Bannerman – making 106 out of 176. India chased it down in just 12 overs for the loss of only three wickets.
A 1-1 result does justice. South Africa's batting was not in a great place at the time, so on a tough wicket in Newlands they couldn't outbat the visitors.
New Zealand 0-2 (away)
You could argue we can skip the recap here, because that is what South Africa did for this series. If there was a winner here, it was those who had invested in the SA20.
Years from now, children will talk about the time Neil Brand captained his nation on his debut. Rabada was very disappointed with the whole situation, and he said it was like ‘shooting yourself in the foot’. In hindsight, it’s a huge achievement that they made the final despite all that happened here. Or an absolute farce. Take your pick.
In the first Test at Mount Maunganui, David Bedingham’s 87 was the highest score, which will be important later on. Even in the next Test he made a hundred. It wasn’t just him showing he might be better than the South African thirds, as Dane Piedt also made a comeback from trying to play for the US team.
West Indies 1-0 (away)
Bavuma and de Zorzi made half-centuries in the first innings, while a few others also chipped in with contributions on the way to 357. West Indies went from 173/4 to 223 all-out in a span of about 16 overs. Rabada took three wickets in this innings, but this was Keshav Maharaj’s Test – he bowled 40 overs out of 91.5 and had figures of 4/76. They set a chase of 298, but 142 overs were lost because of rain, and the match was left with the West Indies on 201/5. We probably missed out on a classic. Maharaj would end up with eight wickets in 66 overs in the draw.
The Guyana Test was just the right place to be if you’re a seamer. 17 wickets fell on day one. South Africa were actually struggling a lot at 97/9, but a 10th wicket stand between Piedt and Burger allowed them to put 160 on the board. In response, West Indies were also 104/9 before a 40 run partnership took them to 144. It was just a good wicket for number elevens. Wiaan Mulder took four wickets, while Burger had three dismissals to his name. South Africa went from 120/1 to 139/5, then Kyle Verreynne and Mulder added another 85 runs, and they again lost the last five wickets cheaply. The hosts fought hard in a close game, but South Africa won the match and the series. Rabada and Maharaj took three wickets each.
Bangladesh 2-0 (away)
It could have been a tricky series in Bangladesh, but Rabada, Mulder and Maharaj took nine wickets between them on Day 1 of the first Test in Mirpur. After the hosts were all-out for 106, South Africa were also struggling at 108/6 when Ryan Rickelton was dismissed. But a 119-run partnership between Verreyenne and Mulder, followed by 66 runs between the keeper and Dane Piedt. Bangladesh lost six wickets – Rabada took four of those – for 112 within 35 overs, and an innings loss was looming. But Bangladesh fought back, but even then, South Africa chased easily.
In the second Test, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs make centuries and Bedingham a fifty. Coming in at seven, Mulder smashes an unbeaten 105 off 150 balls, and Senuran Muthusamy also makes a quick-fire 68* off 75. Rabada picks up another fifer, while Maharaj and Paterson take a couple each. In the third innings, it’s the spin duo of Muthusamy and Maharaj that took nine wickets. It was their first series win in the subcontinent after a decade. And a really good result, considering Bangladesh had defeated Pakistan away a couple of series ago.
Sri Lanka 2-0 (home)
Sri Lanka remain the only Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa. But after their last series win in 2019, they have lost four consecutive Tests in the country. They dismissed South Africa for a sub-200 score in Durban. Skipper Temba Bavuma made 70, but nobody else could cross 25. That was the last time Sri Lanka had a chance in the game as Marco Jansen ensured they still ended up with a lead of 149, picking up seven wickets in just 41 balls. Bavuma brought up a third-innings ton, and so did Stubbs. South Africa won easily.
Ryan Rickleton, Kyle Verreynne and Bavuma were the major contributors in South Africa’s 358 at Gqeberha. Sri Lanka were 261/3, but ended up with just 328. Paterson took a fifer. Multiple batters chip in with contributions as the hosts set a target of 348. Sri Lanka are 122/5, but a 97-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva keeps them in it before Maharaj and Rabada get both of them out within three overs.
Pakistan 2-0 (home)
South Africa took down Pakistan for 211 at Centurion. Dane Paterson and Corbin Bosch combined for nine of the ten dismissals. Aiden Markram top scored in SA’s first innings, but Bosch strung partnerships with Rabada and Paterson after they collapsed to 213/8, eventually giving them a 90-run lead. Marco Jansen starred with six wickets, and this time Pakistan also fell from 153/3 to 237. Chasing 150, South Africa were 27/3 at stumps on day three, and then 99/8 when Bosch (one of the heroes of the first innings) departed. But Rabada and Jansen pulled off a special victory, adding 51 runs in just eight overs. It was a glorious steal of a Test match.
Rickleton’s well-controlled 259 set the foundation for the home team’s 615 in the Cape Town Test, while Bavuma and Verreynne also chipped in with centuries. Pakistan were asked to follow on, and although they did a lot better in the third innings and made South Africa bat again, it wasn’t enough.
It’s a weird run of games. You’d take 1-1 against India, but their second best win was perhaps the one against Pakistan, and you’d expect them to win that series at home on most days. But they almost lost to them in Centurion, and they ideally shouldn’t have gotten into such a position. New Zealand was an ethical disaster, but Bangladesh was a very strong effort.
Rabada, Maharaj and Bavuma were their key players, while others also had important contributions at various times in this WTC cycle.
A lot will focus on the easier schedule, which was there, but they were one win from five, and then came home with seven on the bounce. Even with an easy fixture list, it’s not easy to win that many matches in a row.
Australia
England 2-2 (away)
Zak Crawley punched Australia and Pat Cummins in the mouth first ball, but that was also followed by a crazy declaration. Usman Khawaja was the opposite of what Bazball meant – he made 141 off 321 deliveries. He was supported by Alex Carey and Travis Head. Cummins and Nathan Lyon took four wickets each, as England made 273 in 66.2 overs. Chasing 281, Australia were 227/8 when Cummins and Lyon formed an iconic partnership of 55 runs to win the game.
Lord’s was the match of the bouncers – the most ever bowled in a Test (probably). It was one of the weirdest games in modern times. Starc took a catch but ran the ball on the ground. Nathan Lyon couldn’t walk. But it was really about England’s chase of 371, and they were struggling a lot at 45/4. But Ben Stokes produced another Ashes classic, almost winning the game on his own. But no one remembers that at all because Bairstow walked out of his crease and we had a whole new cricket culture war.
At this point, Australia are 2-0 up but that includes two really close games. At Leeds, Marsh comes in for Green and makes 118 out of the first innings total of 263. Cummins goes at more than five RPO, but takes six wickets (including Duckett, Brook and Root) as England make 237. Head is Australia's best batter, and he makes 77 runs. It’s a third close Test as Starc takes five in the fourth innings, but this time England pick up the win with three wickets in hand.
If the Manchester Test isn't rain-affected, Australia lose it. A collective effort – with no standout performers as such – takes them to 317. England make 592 in 107.4 overs on the back of a Crawley masterclass, with great support from the others. Hazlewood got five wickets, but a bunch of those were once England already had a sizeable lead. Marnus scored a century in Australia’s third innings of 214/5.
The final Test at the Oval is yet another thriller. Starc takes 4/82 in 14.2 overs, as England are bowled out for 283. Australia get a first innings lead of 12 runs, with Smith’s 71 being the top score. England are 332/4, but they lost their next 6 wickets for only 63 runs. Starc and Murphy take four wickets each. Chasing 384, they were 264/3 when Head was dismissed. (This is the Test that people believe England was given a magic replacement ball, as if that hasn’t happened in loads of other Tests and people don’t notice). They ultimately couldn’t end up drawing the Test either, falling 49 short.
England are level in what was an absolutely classic series. And the narrative was that England stormed home after Australia caught them off guard. But the four result Tests easily could have gone 3-1 to either side as well, with Old Trafford being the outlier. Either way, Australia certainly popped the invincibility bubble of Bazball.
Pakistan 3-0 (home)
In his last series as a Test cricketer, Warner made 164 in the first innings at Perth. Pakistan started their second innings well but fell from 192/3 to 271 all-out. A great all-round bowling effort meant Pakistan could only muster a total of 89 runs in the chase.
The touring side did compete a lot better at the MCG. Labuschagne’s 63 was the highest score in Australia’s first innings of 318. Cummins and Lyon combined for nine wickets in the following innings, as they led by 54 runs. They were in trouble at 16/4, but Marsh (90), Carey (53) and Smith (50) ensured they got to 262 and asked Pakistan to chase 317. A win did not look impossible when they were 219/5, but they collapsed to 237 once Rizwan got out. Cummins finished with a ten wicket haul for the match, while Starc also got four wickets in this innings.
Cummins got his third consecutive fifer at the SCG, as the visitors made 313. Australia went from 187/2 to 299, and Pakistan actually took a small first innings lead. Australia’s bowling attack again stepped up, bowling Pakistan out for just 115 saving the day. Hazlewood and Lyon took four and three wickets each. Warner signed off from Test cricket with 57 off 75, and Marnus again made a fifty as they won by eight wickets.
Their bowling was very strong, but their batting was not, and losing Warner was not going to help too much.
West Indies 1-1 (home)
Coming into this series, we had the news that Steve Smith was opening the batting after David Warner had retired. Yes, this was a thing that actually happened. 2024 was a weird year. Hazlewood and Cummins took four wickets each as West Indies made 188 batting first in Adelaide. Travis Head scored a counter-attacking 119 off 134 balls after coming in at 67/3. The next-best was Khawaja’s 45, as the Aussies made 283. Hazlewood took five wickets, and it was a comfortable 10 wicket win for the hosts. Again, the bowling did it.
The next one was crazy. West Indies scored 311. Starc, the master of the pink ball, took four wickets for 82 runs. Australia were 54/5 in the 12th over, but they made 289/9 in just 53 overs before declaring – it was kind of their own, personal Bazball. Khawaja, Carey and Cummins scored fifties. Lyon and Hazlewood got three dismissals each, and the hosts had to make 216 to win the series. They would lose by only eight runs, as Smith carried his bat after making 91. It was a Shamar Joseph special.
Again, it was clear that batting in Australia was tough, and theirs wasn’t working well either.
New Zealand 2-0 (away)
Australia were 267/9 in the first innings but a century stand between Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood took them to 383. Green batted at four – thanks to Smith as opener – and made 174* off 275 balls. They then reduced the Kiwis to 29/5, but Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry and Tom Blundell took them to 179. Lyon – who came in as a nightwatch – top-scored for Australia with 41 runs as they set a target of 369 runs. Lyon took six in the fourth innings, and five of those were top seven batters.
Hazlewood was the best performer of the first innings at Christchurch, with bowling figures of 5/31. Labuschagne’s 90 – when nobody else crossed 30 – played a major role in the visitors taking a 94-run lead. Cummins took four wickets in the third innings, but the Kiwis batted well so the Aussies needed to chase 279. They were in serious trouble at 80/5, but Carey’s two vital partnerships with Marsh (140 run stand) and Cummins (61 unbeaten runs) meant that they again won a Test series against the Kiwis.
Carey came into the series with a lot of pressure on him, but he showed up as Australia was looking to move on. His overall record in this WTC cycle is not great, but he did step up a lot of times when needed.
India 3-1 (home)
You need to know that Smith was back to number four for this very crucial series. Can a player turn himself into an opener during a seam bowling era when not in his best form? It would seem the final answer is no.
Australia lost the first Test quite convincingly. Their batters did not have a great outing, and their bowling attack was not very effective either in the third innings.
In the following game at the Adelaide Oval, Starc again proved why he is the GOAT of pink ball bowling. He played a big role in restricting India to 180. Head scored a quick 140 after coming at 101/3, while Labuschagne also found some much needed form (both of them are pretty good at pink ball batting by the way). India also batted quickly in the third innings, but their effort lasted for 36.5 overs. This time, Cummins took a fifer.
At the Gabba, Smith and Head scored first innings tons after being 75/3. Starc took two early wickets, but Cummins picked up four in the innings. India managed to avoid the follow on, but then had Australia 89/7 before they declared. Of course, Australia's batting that way had to do with the amount of time lost due to rain. Eventually, just 13 deliveries were bowled in the final innings.
With the top order not working, the Aussies just told Sam Konstas that he owned the stage and sent him out there on that high. It worked, the top order made runs and Smith scored 140. India struggled in reply, but then Australia collapsed too, until a Lyon and Boland partnership got them to a lead of 340.
On the final day, India lost three wickets in the first session, but then Jaiswal and Pant batted for the entire middle and a draw seemed quite possible. But Head dismissed Pant off a terrible ball triggered a collapse. Cummins got Jaiswal, and that would prove to be the final nail in the coffin.
In the final Test at the SCG, Australia bowled India out for 185 – Boland took four wickets, Starc three. Beau Webster makes a half-century on debut, but the hosts are still four runs behind. Boland took another six in the next shift, finishing with the ten for the game. India didn’t have Bumrah available while defending 162, and even though Australia were 58/3 when Smith got out, Head and Webster would take them home with six wickets to spare.
Webster and Konstas were not names at the start of this WTC cycle. It shows that things were not always going well with the bat.
Sri Lanka 2-0 (away)
India’s WTC collapse meant that Australia just had to turn up to Sri Lanka, where at certain times during the cycle it looked very must winny.
But they still played it straight, so Sam Konstas wasn’t picked, and Travis Head was promoted up the order to open with Khawaja. The veteran left-hander made 232 – a bit of a comeback after a slump. Smith and Josh Inglis (who was on debut) also brought up tons. It felt like Australia just wanted Inglis in the side, and when Carey had found form they went with both keepers. That feels very Buttler and Bairstow like. But they scored 654/6 at more than 4.2 runs per over, so all good.
Matt Kuhnemann and Lyon took nine and seven wickets respectively in the Test, leading the visitors to their biggest victory (by innings and runs) in the island nation. Kuhnemann would continue to take wickets in the next game, and he would eventually be tested (and cleared) of chucking. Australia’s top order faltered again there, but Carey put on the cape one more time.
It will never not be funny to me that India, England and Australia agreed to a WTC system that helps out the non-Big 3 teams more than themselves. Australia had to run through the in form team in England, the best team that wasn’t them in India, and the former winners of NZ.
What did we learn? That their batting is not what it used to be, but the main five bowlers are still very good.
And that is where these teams match up best, both can take loads of wickets. There is no issue there. But even if you say Australia’s batting has not been great this cycle, Khawaja, Smith, Head and Carey compared to Bavuma, Markram, Stubbs and Verreynne isn’t quite the same. Also, even if Labuschagne averaged only 28 in this cycle, his batting pedigree is well known.
But as Australia showed against the West Indies and India, not to mention the other times their top order failed, they certainly give good bowlers a chance. And South Africa have heaps of them.