London [UK], June 7 : Australia is all set to defend its ICC World Test Championship title against South Africa in the 'Ultimate Test' from June 11 at Lord's. The holders of the WTC mace finished second in the ongoing cycle with a point percentage of 67.54, on the back of 13 wins, four losses and two draws from 19 outings.
Earlier in May, the team named a strong 15-player squad to take the field at the final. The Australians are bolstered by the return of dynamic all-rounder Cameron Green, veteran pacer Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, all of whom had missed out on the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Having secured the iconic mace in June 2023, the title holders had a sluggish start to their third World Test Championship campaign, but picked up pace eventually and punched a ticket to the final against South Africa at Lord's starting June 11, as per the ICC.
Here is a look at Australia's journey which helped them secure a berth in the final:
-versus England [2-2, Away]
Australia established early dominance in the 2023 Ashes, securing a close win in Birmingham (by two wickets), before taking an exciting contest at Lord's (by 43 runs), to secure a 2-0 lead.
England's bold declaration at Birmingham did not pay off as a 55-run stand for the ninth wicket between skipper Pat Cummins (44*) and Nathan Lyon (16*) helped Aussies seal a win, chasing down 281 runs in a thriller. Usman Khawaja (141 and 65) took home the 'Player of the Match' honours, getting his first ton in England.
During the second Test at Lord's, Steve Smith's 110 put Aussies on the back foot early on, but Ben Stokes (155) almost delivered again to Aussies the trauma of Headingley run-chase, before a three-fer from Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc helped Australia restrict England to 327 while chasing 371. Smith's ton earned him the POTM honours.
However, England struck back in the third Test with a three-wicket victory on the back of stunning performances from Ben Stokes in the first innings (80), Harry Brook in the second (75), and Mark Wood's magic with the ball throughout the Test (5/34, 2/66). The Three Lions chased down 251 to keep the series alive.
Needing just a draw to retain the Ashes, Australia proceeded to do exactly that in the fourth Test, holding up against the hosts with some help from the weather, while England managed to fight back in the final game as well to make it 2-2. An all-round show from Chris Woakes, who took seven wickets in the match, left Australia 49 runs short of 384 runs.
Mitchell Starc was chosen as Australia's Player of the Series with 23 wickets across the five Tests. With 496 runs in 10 innings, including, a century and three fifties, Khawaja top-scored for the Aussies.
-versus Pakistan [3-0, Home]
Australia then faced Pakistan in a three-match Test series at home in December 2023.
The hosts continued their dominance against Pakistan at home with a 3-0 series whitewash to make it 17 Test wins on the trot against the Asian side since 1999.
Australia secured wins by 360 runs in the first Test, 79 runs in the second Test and by eight wickets in the third Test.
In the first Test at Perth, David Warner kickstarted his farewell series with a knock of 164, while Mitchell Marsh pulled off an all-round show of one wicket, a knock of 90 and 63. Starc and Hazlewood took three-fers as Pakistan was bundled out for 89 in pursuit of 450. Marsh got the POTM honours.
In the next Boxing Day Test at MCG, skipper Cummins took five-wicket hauls in each innings and the POTM award, bundling out Pakistan for 237 while chasing 317.
In the final Test, Aamer Jamal did provide some resistance, but Aussies knocked off an easy target of 130 runs with fifties from Warner and Labuschagne.
Skipper Cummins was consistent across the three matches and was named the Player of the Series for his 19 wickets.
-versus West Indies [1-1, Home]
Kraigg Brathwaite's West Indies were up next at home, and the Australian side had to settle for a share of the spoils as the series finished tied with one victory apiece.
The first Test in Adelaide saw Australia continue their unbeaten run at home with a comfortable win. Travis Head scored a brilliant 119 off 134 deliveries in the first innings; meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood was in sizzling form with nine wickets across both innings, and Australia secured a victory by 10 wickets. Head got the POTM award.
The second Test, a day-night encounter in Brisbane, was a West Indies performance for the ages. Featuring in just his second Test, pacer Shamar Joseph, overcame a toe injury and put up the performance of a lifetime in the second innings, picking up 7/68 and halting Australia eight runs short of their ask, despite a valiant 91 from Smith.
For the first time since the 1996/97 season, the Caribbean side had won a Test in Australia. This was also Australia's first Test loss on home soil since India were the victors at the same venue in 2021.
-versus New Zealand [2-0, Away]
Next, Australia went across the Tasman to take on neighbouring rivals New Zealand.
The visitors secured a 2-0 series win against New Zealand, winning the first Test by a comfortable margin of 172 runs at Wellington courtesy of a Nathan Lyon 10-wicket haul. During the Test, Cameron Green also produced a brilliant knock of 174, winning the 'Player of the Match' honours.
The Kiwis fought back in the second Test, and after conceding an advantage in the first innings, managed to set up a target of 279. Early strikes from Ben Sears and Matt Henry (who also took 7/67 in the first innings) left Australia reduced to 80/5. However, resilient batting from Mitchell Marsh (80), Alex Carey (98*) and Pat Cummins saw the tourists through. Carey took home the POTM honours.
-versus India [3-1, Home]
Coming off a disastrous home series against New Zealand, India showed renewed vigour in Perth, winning the first Test by 295 runs. Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah was their star, registering inspiring bowling figures of 8/72 in the Test, including a five-wicket haul. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli also scored centuries.
But in the second Test in Adelaide, a pink-ball encounter, Pat Cummins' side came back strongly on the back of Travis Head's heroics in the first innings. He scored 140 off 141 deliveries. Meanwhile, Cummins and Starc shone themselves too, with seven and eight scalps respectively, leaving Aussies with just 19 to chase. Head took home another POTM award.
Australia dominated a rain-affected encounter in Brisbane - albeit a draw - but the downside was key pacer Josh Hazlewood picking up an injury and being ruled out for the remainder of the series with a calf strain. Head hit a brilliant 152 to secure the individual honours.
The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne was a Test cricket masterclass from Australia. While the hosts dominated the majority of the Test, they overcame India's resolve on the fifth day to take a win in the final hour of the game. A century from Steve Smith (140) was a highlight though skipper Cummins also put an all-round show with knocks of 49, 41 and three-fers in each innings to get the POTM awards. India could not chase down 340 runs and were skittled out for 155.
A 3-1 series win would have ensured Australia's place in the top two of the WTC Standings, thus confirming their spot in the final even before they had played their last series.
And Scott Boland, leading with a sensational seam-bowling performance, ensured just that for the hosts in Sydney. Despite a slender lead in the first innings, India lost their way following an injury to star pacer Bumrah, who finished with a staggering 32 wickets in the series at an average of 13.06.
Boland's career-best 10/76 ensured a modest target for the hosts in the second innings, and they overcame the ask of 162 against an injured Indian bowling lineup with six wickets to spare.
-versus Sri Lanka [2-0, Away]
After an exhausting outing against India at home, Australia started without key figures like Cummins and Hazlewood for the Sri Lanka encounters.
Steve Smith took the reins in the island nation as Australia secured another series whitewash away from home, their first series triumph in Sri Lanka since 2011. Smith led from the front, winning the Player of the Series Award for scoring tons in both Tests and accruing 272 runs in the series.
Going into the final, opener Usman Khawaja has been Australia's highest run-scorer in the 2023-25 WTC cycle, scoring 1422 runs across 19 Tests at an average of 41.82, with two centuries and six fifties. He is the fifth-highest run-getter in the cycle.
Their highest wicket-taker in this cycle has been skipper Pat Cummins, who has led from the front with a rip-roaring 73 wickets across 17 Tests at an average of 24.54 with five five-wicket hauls.
The reigning champions are now all set to face South Africa in the Ultimate Test starting June 11 at Lord's with a chance to retain their title and continue their dominance as the No.1 Test team in the world.
Australia squad for the WTC Final: 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 (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett.
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