May13, Cricket Australia: Cricket Australia has announced the team for the final match of the World Test Championship. The Australian team will face South Africa in the title match of the 2023-25 Test Championship cycle. The final match will be played at the historic ground of Lord’s from June 11. The Australian team is also the defending champion of the WTC. It won the title by defeating India in the final played in 2023.
Green returns, Marsh dropped
All-rounder Cameron Green, who did not play in the last Test series against India due to injury, has returned. Apart from this, spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who was away from cricket for some time due to suspicious action, has also been recalled to the squad. Brandon Doggett, who was the Player of the Match in the final of Australia’s domestic red ball tournament Sheffield Shield, has been placed in the traveling reserve. The Australian team has 15 players. At the same time, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been dropped from the team. He was part of the team in the last Test series against India. Apart from this, not many changes have been made in the Kangaroo team that defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 and India 3-1.
Webster and Boland also included in the team
The responsibility of making the team the Test champion for the second consecutive time has been entrusted to Pat Cummins. Cummins will take charge. Along with him in pace bowling, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will be there. All three of them have recently returned to their country after playing IPL and there is no possibility of them joining this league again. Apart from this, Australia will have Scott Boland and all-rounder Beau Webster as backup. Both of them wreaked havoc in the last two Tests against India. The responsibility of spin will be on Nathan Lyon along with Kuhnemann. At the same time, the responsibility of batting will be on Usmvan Khawaja, young Sam Constas, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Australia’s squad for WTC Final:
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Traveling Reserve: Brendan Doggett.
Australia’s performance in the 2023-25 cycle
Australia performed brilliantly in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. The team won four out of six series and made it to the final. In the Ashes in 2023, the Kangaroos drew the series against England 2-2. Also, the series against West Indies in 2023-24 was drawn 1-1. South Africa topped the WTC table in this cycle. They won eight matches in 12 Tests. Their point percentage was 69.44. At the same time, Australia’s point percentage was 67.54. The Kangaroos won 13 out of 19 tests.
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