WTC: Serial-winners Australia succumb to first defeat in ICC finals after 15 years
Australia tasted defeat in an International Cricket Council (ICC) final after 15 years as South Africa took the win by 5 wickets to win the World Test Championship (WTC) at Lord's on Saturday, June 14. Statistically, the most successful side across all formats in the men's division, Australia, were always considered to be the favourites when it came to the big occasions. The men's team have amassed 10 major honours in ICC events, including six ODI World Cup titles, two Champions' Trophy titles, and one World Test Championship and T20 World Cup title each.advertisementHowever, it wasn't meant to be for the Baggy Greens as the Temba Bavuma-led side put up one of their finest performances in South African cricket's history to win their first major honour in the longest format. Having contested in 14 finals in ICC tournaments, Australia have only ended up on the losing side on four occasions, including the WTC defeat.WTC Final, SA vs AUS: As it Happened
The first was the ODI World Cup in 1975, their first major final, where the West Indies beat them by 17 runs at Lord's.Their next loss came 21 years later, in the 1996 ODI World Cup final, where Sri Lanka put up a dominant batting effort to beat Australia by 7 wickets and 22 balls to spare in Lahore.14 years later, their most recent defeat in an ICC tournament final was against England in the 2010 T20 World Cup, where Australia suffered a 7-wicket loss at Bridgetown, Barbados.advertisementSouth Africa is the latest entry to a rare list of teams to overcome the mighty Australian side. Despite Australia's captain, Pat Cummins taking a six-wicket haul in the first innings to bundle the Proteas out for 138 in the first innings, they made up in the final innings where Aiden Markram's 136 supported by Temba Bavuma's 66 steadied the ship and led them to their first major honour since 1998.It will be a rare sight for Cummins as well. Since taking up the leadership role for Australia, his side had previously made it to two finals, where they beat India for the WTC title for the 2021-2023 cycle, followed by the 2023 ODI World Cup as well.There will be a lot to ponder for this Australian side, and it remains to be seen whether they will continue to persist with the current combinations or whether this defeat will be the start of a new era, with new faces being brought into the Test side.Tune InMust Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Historic India versus England Mixed Disability T20 Cricket Series starts in England on June 21
Jaipur: History will be made when the first-ever mixed disability T20 series between India and England starts in England on Saturday (June 21) at Taunton, the home of Somerset County Cricket Club. During the landmark seven-match T20Is tour, the teams will also play a match at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground on June 25. Led by Mumbai's Ravindra Gopinath Sante, India's mixed disability team arrived in London for the tour on June 15. The 16-member team, picked by the Differently abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI), has prepared for the series by playing three practice matches against the England Lions Mixed Disability team at the Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club in Exeter. Virendra Singh is the vice-captain of the team, while the team's head coach is former Rajasthan captain Rohit Jhalani. Before travelling to England, the Indian team had a week-long preperatory camp at the Jaipuria Cricket Academy ground in Jaipur. The team comprises six deaf, six physical disability and four intellectual disability players. This format has been approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "We thank the English Cricket Board and the BCCI for providing us with all the facilities which are given to the international players for this tour. We are playing all our matches on this tour on the first-class ground of England," said Ravi Chauhan, general secretary of the DCCI. "Our preparations have been good. We are looking forward to an exciting series, which will raise the profile of mixed disability cricket," said Abhay Pratap Singh, Jt. Secretary, DCCI. In a first incident, all the seven matches of the series will be streamed live on Sony Liv. "As the BCCI secretary, Jay Shah provided us with complete support from the BCCI. We wish that as the ICC Chair, he would support this format too," Ravi Chauhan said. Before the first match at Taunton, both the teams will hold a two-minute silence and wear black armbands to pay their respects to the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. The highlight of the tour will, of course, be the third T20I at Lord's on June 25, giving India's mixed disability team the rare honour of competing at the iconic 'Home of Cricket.' The date and the venue both make for a tremendous coincidence- 42 years back, India, led by the legendary Kapil Dev, had clinched the 1983 World Cup on June 25 at Lord's in 1983. June 25 is incidentally celebrated as the 'World Mixed Disability Day.' The other standout fixture of the tour is scheduled for July 1 in Bristol, where the Indian mixed disability team will play their English counterparts, followed by a T201 between the women's teams of India and England in a double-header. The Bristol match will be shown live on Sky Sports, stated Ravikant Chauhan, general secretary, Differently Abled Cricket Council Of India (DCCI) BCCI Member, Differently Abled Cricket Committee.
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
Yashasvi Jaiswal fifth Indian player to score century in first Test innings in England
Leeds [UK] June 20 (ANI): Indian star batter Yashasvi Jaiswal on Friday joined former Indian skipper, Saurav Ganguly (131 at Lord's, 1996), Vijay Manjrekar (133 at Leeds, 1952), Sandeep Patil (129* at Manchester, 1982) and Murali Vijay (146 at Nottingham, 2014) to score Test ton in their first Test innings on English soil. Jaiswal achieved this feat in his outing against England on Day 1 of the first test of the five-test match series on Friday at Leeds Headingley. This is also the start of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both nations. Among players who have played at least five Tests and scored at least 500 runs against England, Jaiswal has the highest average. In six Tests, he has scored 813 runs across 10 innings at an average of 90.33, with three centuries and fifties each. He is the seventh Indian batter to score a century at Headingley. This century of Jaiswal is fifth of his test career, and it is worth noting none of his five tons have come against Asian nations. Notably, he has slammed a century on his maiden Test outings in Australia, the West Indies and England. Three of his centuries have come against England, and one each against Australia and the West Indies. Jaiswal was dismissed by England skipper Ben Stokes right after Tea on Day 1 for 101 runs, his innings included 16 fours and a six. Earlier on Day 1, Jaiswal's commanding century, along with Indian skipper Shubman Gill's strong innings, powered India to 215/2 at the end of the second session on Day 1. Jaiswal and KL Rahul's impactful innings powered India to finish the first session of Day 1 of the first Test, on 92/2 at Headingley, Leeds. England broke the Indian opening partnership on the stroke of Lunch as KL Rahul narrowly missed out on his half-century. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
Rishabh Pant completes 3000 test runs; surpasses MS Dhoni to become Asia's most successful wicketkeeper-batter in SENA
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): Rishabh Pant completed 3000 runs in test cricket on Thursday, surpassing former Indian skipper MS Dhoni as India's most successful wicketkeeper-batter. Pant achieved this feat in his outing against England on Friday at Leeds Headingley, Day 1 of the first test of the five-test match series. This is also the start of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both nations. Pant remained not out on 65 at the end of Day 1. He became Asia's most successful wicketkeeper-batter in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, surpassing the legendary Dhoni. Pant now has 1746 runs in SENA in 27 matches at an average of 38.80; he also has four centuries and six fifties to his name. Earlier on Day 1, a composed century from debutant captain Shubman Gill, a fluent ton by Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a measured innings from vice-captain Rishabh Pant powered India to a dominant 359/3 at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley on Friday. After Jaiswal set the tone with a sparkling 101 off 159 balls, featuring sixteen boundaries and a six, Gill took over with a captain's knock, showing maturity and poise throughout his unbeaten 127-run effort. The stylish right-hander struck sixteen fours and a maximum in his 175-ball stay, steering India to their highest-ever first-day total in a Test match on English soil. Pant supported his skipper brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 65 from 102 deliveries. His innings was laced with six fours and two towering sixes, and he looked in full control alongside Gill in their unbroken 138-run partnership. Jaiswal and KL Rahul's impactful innings powered India to finish the first session of Day 1 of the first Test, on 92/2 at Headingley, Leeds. England broke the Indian opening partnership on the stroke of Lunch as KL Rahul narrowly missed out on his half-century. (ANI)
