LONDON: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and put Australia in to bat in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Wednesday.
The overcast conditions in London promised to help South Africa’s quicks, with reigning champions Australia also boasting an impressive pace attack.
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne will be thrust straight into the action after being promoted to open for the first time in his Test career.
“We’ll have a bowl first,” said Bavuma at the toss. “The surface looks a good one, with solid overhead conditions.
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“I’m happy. It’s too late now for anything else. We’ve selected the best team for the conditions.”
“It’s (a) massive (occasion). I think all of us have some sort of allegiance to Lord’s. It should be a spectacle of a game.”
Australia captain Pat Cummins said his side were happy to bat first.
“There’s a few clouds but that’s not unusual for England,” he said. “It’s dry and might turn later in the match.
“I don’t think there’s any extra pressure (as defending champions). We’ve been here before and won it. This week is about enjoying it.”
Both sides named their teams on Tuesday.
All-rounder Beau Webster keeps his place at number six in the Australia team and the experienced Josh Hazlewood has been preferred to Scott Boland in the pace attack.
South Africa named all-rounder Wiaan Mulder at number three and selected Lungi Ngidi ahead of Dane Paterson, even though his fellow paceman knows conditions at Lord’s well after playing there for Middlesex this season.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is playing his first Test after serving a one-month ban for cocaine use earlier this year.
South Africa are aiming to win their first major trophy since lifting the ICC Knockout, a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, in 1998.
The top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have won multiple white-ball trophies.
Teams
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wkt), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
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