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Arab News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
World Test Championship shows its worth at Lord's
In the first day's play in the 2025 World Test Championship on June 11 at Lord's, South Africa bowled Australia out for 212 in 56.4 overs. In the final session of the day, South Africa's response stumbled badly, as the innings slumped to 43 for four against Australia's relentless trio of quick bowlers. At that point, there was a feeling that this could be a mismatch. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport It was not so much that South Africa lost early wickets, it was the lack of positivity in the approach. In a callow innings, Wiaan Mulder scored six runs in facing 44 deliveries, looking barely capable of putting bat on ball. The responsibilities of captaincy seemed to weigh heavily on Temba Bavuma, who scored three from 37 deliveries. Bowlers were in the ascendency throughout the day, high class shining though. Kagiso Rabada had come into the match under a cloud, following a one-month ban for a positive testing for cocaine use. His response was to claim five wickets for 51 runs. These took his tally of Test wickets to 331, past Allan Donald on South Africa's all-time list, cementing his reputation as one of cricket's finest fast bowlers. Conditions were helpful to bowlers, cloud cover persuading Bavuma to ask Australia to bat. The decision was vindicated until that late flurry of lost wickets in South Africa's response. In addition, it must be said that Australia's batters looked underprepared. The team had not played a Test match since February. Several of them had been playing in the Indian Premier League, but that has different demands to Test cricket. Admittedly, two batters had been acclimatizing by playing English county cricket but that has lower demands than the Test arena. On the other hand, South Africa's squad had united to play warm-up matches in England. Nevertheless, there was a feeling at Lord's that the first session on Day 2 could prove fatal for South Africa. Despite middle order doggedness prior to lunch, South Africa's last five wickets fell for only 12 runs in the face of an inspired spell by Australia's captain, Pat Cummins, who claimed six wickets, the last of which was his 300th in Test cricket. Once again, the Test format displayed the capacity to ebb and flow, which can make it so compelling, prompting references to chess on grass. This match had strategic moves in abundance. Australia held a lead of 74 runs in the first innings. In the second innings, its task was to bat South Africa out of the game. Towards the end of the second day that plan was in tatters, the response 73 for 7, a lead of 147. A partial recovery was effected, which took the score to 144 for 8 at the close of play, a lead of 217. On the basis of South Africa's first innings performance this seemed to be enough for many observers. Conditions still favored the bowlers, while batters had displayed faulty techniques. Questions were raised about Australia's selection policy and the possibility that the places of several in their batting line-ups were in jeopardy. On Friday morning the sun shone and the characteristic Lord's hum of chatter and anticipation was in full symphony. It was presented with a stoical last wicket partnership by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood. Obvious to everyone were the existence of more favorable conditions for batting, the ball moving less in the air and off the pitch. The pair compiled a mature partnership of 59 from 135 balls. Both knew that conditions had eased and that, as bowlers, they needed as many runs as possible to provide a cushion. They were taking the WTC seriously. Hazlewood's annoyed swish of the bat when he was out on the stroke of lunch suggested that he felt that more runs were needed. If he and Starc, who scored 58 in a three-hour innings, found batting easy, so might the South Africans. It was difficult to find many to agree with him. Common consent was that a target of 282 looked beyond South Africa, even allowing for the improved batting conditions. A more positive intent was apparent in South Africa's second innings, despite the loss of two wickets to Starc. Then Aidan Markham and Bavuma, carrying a hamstring injury, forged a partnership of 147. Markham has always been a striker of handsome cricket shots, but his Test career has been very stop-start. Gradually, the pair pushed South Africa towards an unexpected victory, grinding Australia down to end Day 3 on 213 for three, 69 runs short of victory. On the fourth day those runs were eked out despite much obvious nervous tension and strangling tactics from Australia. Finally, a victory was achieved that was met by an outpouring of relief and ecstasy from South Africans and for South Africa, whose men's team's failures to win global tournaments when well set are well documented. The emotions and reflections of those directly associated with this win have been covered in another Arab News piece. Now that the dust has settled on the match and the South African team have returned home to a heroes' welcome, a further reflection on what it means for Test cricket is required. The TWC has not been a universally popular competition. South Africa is now its third different winner after New Zealand and Australia, who each beat India in the two previous finals respectively held in England in 2021 and 2023. England's representatives have been scornful about losing points for slow over rates in the TWC. India, no doubt, is more than a little disappointed not to have won the title. This time they have only themselves to blame for failing to reach the final, winning only one of their past eight Tests. The smaller Full Members, such as Zimbabwe, are disappointed not to be included at all. There is an imbalance in terms of the number of Tests played, length of series and who plays whom. Nevertheless, despite its flaws, the WTC provides a competitive framework in which Test cricket is played. There has been talk of its reform, changing its cycle and even moving the final to India, evidenced by a formal request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to do so. It is rumored that Jay Shah, chair of the ICC, will propose to the ICC Board that Lord's should host the final of the next three cycles up to and including 2031. This bastion of class and elitism, proclaimed 'the home of cricket,' had to allow its treasured property to be overtaken by Australians and South Africans, but it provided a class environment. Ultimately, South Africa completely took over the ground as they partied joyously. Surely, it can be no bad thing for this to happen, the team and country assuaging past heartbreaks and providing new hope for South African cricket across all formats and all parts of its society.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Hail the Prince: Shubman Gill's India captaincy a prophecy fulfilled but Test doubts remain
Shubman Gill was a pretty laid-back character when he played for Glamorgan three summers ago. So laid back, in fact, that early on during his time there he parked the brand new Volvo the club had arranged for him and apparently left the keys in the ignition. Sure enough, after training, he returned to find it had been pinched. Cue panic in the finance department at Sophia Gardens, calls to the insurers and the like. But at least his new teammates had material for some lighthearted mickey-taking. Gill, just turned 23 but already an India star on the rise, had arrived for three September rounds of the County Championship in 2022. Saying hello with 92 on debut in Cardiff, and goodbye with 119 at Hove, it sounds like he fitted in well. 'When he first turned up to nets, you knew he was just a class above everyone else,' Sam Northeast, the club's middle-order veteran, tells the Guardian. 'I don't want to put down other overseas players I've played with over the years but he was on a different level to a lot of them. It was just the amount of time he had, the shots he possessed, and the ability to place the ball where he wanted. We knew he was a star in the making. 'As a person, he was extremely relaxed, and I think you probably have to be that way to deal with the scrutiny which comes with playing for India. He was a little bit in the clouds, actually. A little bit 'are you here? Are you with us?' The closest I've seen to that is probably captaining Kagiso Rabada at Kent, who was very similar. Just no stress.' Like a lot of India players who come over to play county cricket, Gill enjoyed the relative anonymity of life in Cardiff; the ability to walk down the street without being swamped by requests for selfies. And though a transactional stint on one level – the club were chasing promotion to Division One, Gill his own improvement against the red Dukes ball – he has stayed in contact with a number of teammates since. 'It was striking how good he was and very knowledgeable,' says Mark Wallace, director of cricket at Glamorgan. 'They call them cricket badgers these days. He knew the records of the players he was up against, the coaches too. Alan Wilkins, who is now our president, alerted us to his possible availability and then it was a case of contacting his agent, realising it wouldn't cost a king's ransom, and getting it sorted.' Glamorgan didn't quite get up that season and remain in Division Two but Gill's world has changed exponentially of late. After Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket last month, and Jasprit Bumrah told the Board of Control for Cricket in India his workload management would make captaincy too messy, the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, turned to Gill to lead. Five Tests in England, where India have not won a series since 2007, make for a serious baptism. The promotion was not a surprise in one sense, rather a long-held prophecy fulfilled. Born in Fazilka, Punjab, near the border with Pakistan, before moving to Mohali aged eight to be closer to the best facilities, the nickname Prince has followed him round to the point of sometimes appearing on his bat stickers. An Under-19s World Cup winner in 2018, schooled in the Indian Premier League and boasting the second-highest one-day international average in history (59.04), it always felt a case of when, not if, he would lead his country. Aged 25 and set to become India's fifth-youngest Test captain, the timing of Gill's appointment is still intriguing though. Gill is silky on the eye, back foot dominant and wonderfully correct; as the folks at Glamorgan attest, it all looks so good. And in terms of leadership, the CV includes two seasons at Gujarat Titans in the IPL – runners-up in 2025 – five T20is and an India A tour. By modern standards it is not a total Hail Mary. But averaging 35 from 32 Tests, and with four of his five centuries coming in India – and the other in Bangladesh – the back catalogue of batting against the red ball still has plenty of gaps. England is one, with an average of 14 from two World Test Championship finals and a single appearance against the Bazballers in 2022. After a run of established greats being elevated to the captaincy, India have chosen a player who is still figuring things out. Like a number of Test careers, there have been sliding-doors moments. Last year, say, when England went 1-0 up in Hyderabad, a second-innings duck dropped Gill's Test average fall below 30 for the first time. According to the Indian Express, Rahul Dravid, then head coach, he was on the brink of sending his No 3 back to domestic cricket, only for a second-innings 104 in Vizag – in a 106-run victory – to prompt a rethink. By the end of a series that India won 4-1, Gill had banked another century in Dharamshala, his confidence restored to the point of telling Jimmy Anderson to retire during some on-field verbals. While Anderson soon got his revenge for Test wicket No 699, that flare-up supported a prediction from Jos Buttler, an IPL teammate this year, that Gill will blend Sharma's serenity with moments of aggression like Kohli. It will not be straightforward. India go into Friday's first Test off the back of six defeats and one win from their past eight outings and, given those high-profile retirements, the team is now in transition. Handed the keys much earlier than many expected and needing to lead with the bat, Gill will have precious little time to get up to speed.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Yusuf thanks Durham after first SA Test call-up
Codi Yusuf has thanked Durham as he cuts short his stint with the county to join up with South Africa's Test originally signed for six Championship matches, but he is leaving early after being picked for the World Test Champions' two-match series in Zimbabwe, starting on 28 right-arm fast-medium bowler impressed with 17 wickets in his four Durham games at an average of just over 20."It's been an unbelievable experience, and there's been a lot of growth for me," he said, external."There's a lot I can go into this first Test call-up with." South Africa have rested five of the team that beat Australia at Lord's for these two games in Zimbabwe, including new-ball bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco puts Yusuf in line for a Test debut, and after a strong domestic summer, he has done well in in to cover an injury crisis on a recommendation from fellow Durham and now South Africa team-mate David Bedingham, he took six wickets on his Durham debut against Worcestershire as the team won two and drew one of those four Championship games."It's been phenomenal," he said. "Starting in Worcester was a lovely introduction to county cricket for me, and I carried on from that."If Durham ever give me a call at some point down the line, I'll take it in a heartbeat to make sure I'm back playing here."
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Did the Proteas shed the dreaded 'chokers' tag winning the WTC final?
The Proteas finally won a major trophy when they lifted the Test Mace after their five-wicket victory against Australia at Lord's in the World Test Championship (WTC) final that ended on Saturday. This brought to an end a 27-year period of pain and devastating near-misses for the national cricket team since readmission to international sport in 1991. They lost in the semifinals of the ODI World Cup a staggering five times (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015 and 2023) and in the T20 version twice (2009 and 2014), plus once in the final last year. This led to the undesired title of 'chokers'. Those who have supported the Proteas and the players over various generations have wanted to move away from the label, preferring to see the team as unfortunate and those defeats as mishaps. Their stirring WTC final win came against cricket powerhouse Australia, rebounding from a first innings 138 in a match characterised by Temba Bavuma's captaincy, batting and brave decision to bowl from the toss, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi's bowling and Aiden Markram's epic 136. Their performance on such a stage against such opposition should go a long way to putting the Proteas' demons to bed and erasing past hurt. In sport, you're only as good as your last game, even if it was a classic for the ages like last week's Test final. Another semifinal defeat and the dreaded chokers tag will be taken out of storage, dusted off and in the headlines again. For now, the Proteas are walking on air.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Willing to give my blood for this team: Rabada
Kagiso Rabada of South Africa poses with the ICC World Test Championship Mace after day four of the ICC World Test Championship final. Photo: ICC South African fast-bowling ace Kagiso Rabada delivered both with the ball and in spirit during the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final against Australia, crediting mental resilience and team unity for their historic victory. "There are normally two voices in your head, the one that doubts and the one that believes. The second is the one that we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship final," Rabada told reporters at Lord's. "That's why you saw the performances you saw. It's a testament to our team this season," he added. In a tense five-day encounter that spanned 10 gripping sessions, South Africa started strong by bowling out Australia for 212. However, they stumbled to 138 all out in their first innings, surrendering the advantage. A critical second-innings bowling display turned the tide again, with South Africa reducing Australia to 73 for 7 at one stage. Though Australia recovered to post 282, it was still a manageable target on a flattening pitch. Head coach Shukri Conrad praised the bowling unit — and Rabada in particular — for setting up the win. "Where did we turn it around? Obviously, that bowling performance, because we could easily have fallen asleep in the field and then they would have gotten away from us in a big way," Conrad said. "As for KG — that's why he's the superstar. He knew we had one chance at it." Rabada, however, humbly deflected the praise when asked about his stature in South African cricket. "I don't see myself as a star," he insisted, despite being fourth on South Africa's all-time wicket-takers list and boasting the best strike rate among bowlers with over 200 Test wickets. "I see myself as someone who's willing to give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That's me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride." "I've been working extremely hard, and those second-innings spells, those are the ones that count more, when you're a bit tired. You could be behind the game, or you could be ahead of the game. This time, we're behind the game. But I think it was just about staying calm and looking at what's in front of us. That's the way I see myself."
