The ICC World Test Championship 2025 final is set to be an epic clash between Australia and South Africa at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. All eyes will be on former Australian captain Steve Smith and South African skipper Temba Bavuma, key players for their respective teams throughout this WTC cycle. Bavuma’s leadership has seen South Africa in exceptional form, winning seven consecutive matches to reach the final. The performance of these two veteran batsmen could significantly influence the outcome of this high-stakes match.
Steve Smith boasts an outstanding Test career, having accumulated 10,271 runs in 206 innings across 116 matches, with an impressive average of 56.74. His record includes 36 centuries and 41 half-centuries, solidifying his place among Australia’s best Test batsmen. Against South Africa specifically, Smith has scored 854 runs in 21 innings across 13 Tests, averaging 44.94, with 2 centuries and 4 fifties. In the World Test Championship alone, he has amassed 4,072 runs in 89 innings of 53 matches at an average of 50.90, including 13 hundreds and 17 fifties.
Temba Bavuma, though having played fewer Tests, is an integral part of the South African team. He has participated in 63 Test matches, scoring 3,606 runs in 108 innings at an average of 37.95, which includes 4 centuries and 24 half-centuries. Against Australia, Bavuma has played 9 matches, scoring 483 runs in 15 innings, with an average of 40.25. While he is yet to score a century against them, his highest score is 95 not out. In the WTC, Bavuma has scored 1,890 runs in 49 innings across 28 matches at an average of 43.95, featuring 3 centuries and 11 fifties, making him the second-highest African run-scorer in the championship.