The ICC World Test Championship 2023 to 2025 ended with a big moment. South Africa won their first title at Lord’s. South Africa beat Australia by 5 wickets to win their WTC title. The final was played from June 11 to June 14. Aiden Markram became the man of the match.
This was South Africa’s first time in a WTC final, and they grabbed the chance with both hands, stopping Australia from winning back-to-back titles. It is a huge win for South African cricket and a proud moment for their fans after so many close calls over the years.
During the tournament, Glenn Maxwell also announced his retirement from ODI cricket. The Aussie all-rounder ended his career with more than 4000 runs and the best strike rate among players with over 2000 ODI runs.
ICC WTC Final 2025 – Australia vs South Africa
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Australia vs South Africa |
| Date | June 11-15, 2025 |
| Time | 3:30 PM IST (11:00 AM Local) |
| Venue | Lord’s Cricket Ground, London |
| Series | ICC World Test Championship |
| Season | 2025 |
| Hours of play | 11:00 start, Lunch 13:00-13:40, Tea 15:40-16:00, Close 18:00 |
| Match days | 11,12,13,14,15 June 2025 (5-day match) |
| Head-to-Head (Tests) | Played: 101, Australia: 54, South Africa: 26, Drawn: 21 |
Australia holds a significant advantage in their historical rivalry, but past statistics may count for little in a one-off final where both teams enter in excellent form.
ICC WTC Final 2025: Match Summary
| Innings | Team | Score | Top Scorer | Best Bowler (Opposition) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Innings | Australia | 212 all out | Steven Smith (66) | Kagiso Rabada – 5/51 |
| 1st Innings | South Africa | 138 all out | David Bedingham (45) | Pat Cummins – 6/28 |
| 2nd Innings | Australia | 207 all out | Mitchell Starc (58*) | Kagiso Rabada – 4/59 |
| 2nd Innings | South Africa | 282/5 | Aiden Markram (136) | Mitchell Starc – 3/66 |
| Result | South Africa won by 5 wickets | |||
| Player of the Match | Aiden Markram (136 runs) | |||
Australia vs South Africa: Squad Details
Both teams have announced strong squads featuring experienced veterans and emerging talents.
Australia Squad:
- Pat Cummins (c)
- Scott Boland
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Cameron Green
- Josh Hazlewood
- Travis Head
- Josh Inglis (wk)
- Usman Khawaja
- Sam Konstas
- Matthew Kuhnemann
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Nathan Lyon
- Steve Smith
- Mitchell Starc
- Beau Webster
Australia also named Brendan Doggett as a traveling reserve.
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 (wk)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Kyle Verreynne (wk)
Australia’s squad features a balanced mix of explosive batters, versatile all-rounders, and a formidable pace attack. South Africa counters with a potent pace battery led by Kagiso Rabada, supported by several versatile all-rounders who add depth to both batting and bowling departments.
ICC WTC 2025 Points Table
| Rank | Team | Matches (M) | Wins (W) | Losses (L) | Points (PT) | Win % (PCT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 12 | 8 | 3 | 100 | 69.44% |
| 2 | Australia | 19 | 13 | 4 | 154 | 67.54% |
| 3 | India | 19 | 9 | 8 | 114 | 50.00% |
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 81 | 48.21% |
| 5 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 114 | 43.18% |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 13 | 5 | 8 | 60 | 38.46% |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 45 | 31.25% |
| 8 | West Indies | 13 | 3 | 8 | 44 | 28.21% |
| 9 | Pakistan | 14 | 5 | 9 | 47 | 27.98% |
It’s worth noting that the points system remained unchanged from the previous edition. Teams that fell behind the required over-rate at the end of a match had one point deducted for each over they were behind. The rankings were based on the percentage of total points won out of total points contested.
Next Checkout:
Conclusion: South Africa Crowned ICC WTC 2025 Champions At Lord’s
This win is huge for South Africa. It ends their wait for a major ICC trophy and shows how strong they have become in Test cricket. Australia were hoping to win back-to-back titles, but South Africa shut that door with a top performance.
And in the middle of all the WTC action, Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from ODI cricket. He wraps up a 13-year career with over 4000 runs and the best strike rate among players with more than 2000 ODI runs.
All in all, a historic WTC final and a big moment for South African cricket.
