Sports

WTC Final: South Africa Aims for Triumph, Australia Seeks Consecutive Championships

Published

7 months ago

June 10, 2025

The events of June 17, 1999, remain a painful memory for South Africans, echoing through generations. On that day, what was expected to be a glorious march to their first World Cup final turned into a shared nightmare as they lost to Australia by just one run in Birmingham.

With only one run required from four balls, Lance Klusener had brought South Africa tantalizingly close to victory. However, panic set in at a critical moment. Klusener took off for a run, while his partner, Allan Donald, did not follow suit. This miscommunication led to a disastrous run-out, eliminating the Proteas from the tournament due to a technicality, despite having tied the score.

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The wounds from that day remain open, resurfacing whenever South Africa competes in ICC knockout matches or faces tight finishes, each time reminding them of that near-miss.

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This Wednesday, South Africa will confront a familiar adversary at Lord’s, providing a prime opportunity to heal those lingering scars during the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

South Africa’s WTC journey began with a 1-1 home series draw against India, followed by a 2-0 defeat to New Zealand. They then secured a 1-0 win against the West Indies, gaining momentum with 2-0 sweeps over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

A thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan at Centurion solidified their place in the final, culminating in a 2-0 series win against Pakistan and marking their seventh consecutive Test win, allowing them to qualify as the table-toppers.

Defending champions Australia began their WTC campaign with two victories in the Ashes series before England rallied to draw it 2-2. They then completed a clean sweep at home, winning three Tests against Pakistan.

Australia dropped to second in the WTC standings after their series against the West Indies ended in a 1-1 draw. They subsequently swept New Zealand 2-0 away from home and hosted India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, winning it 3-1 after a decade, which paved their path to a second consecutive WTC Final.

On the eve of this crucial match, both teams announced their Playing XI. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma showcased a well-rounded squad, providing the first-time WTC Finalists with numerous options across all facets of the game. Pat Cummins shared no surprises in his lineup, confirming Marnus Labuschagne as the second opener alongside veteran Usman Khawaja. Josh Hazlewood secured his spot in the pace attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Cummins.

Earlier, ICC chairman Jay Shah expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming contest, wishing both teams luck in what he termed the “Ultimate Test.” He tweeted, “Looking forward to an enthralling contest in the @ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. Best of luck to both @ProteasMenCSA and @CricketAus in the Ultimate Test!”

The winner of the WTC 2023-25 will receive USD 3.6 million, a significant increase from the USD 1.6 million awarded in the previous editions, while the runners-up will earn USD 2.16 million, up from USD 800,000.

Squads:

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verrynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

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Sports

Storm in the First Over: RCB Create New WPL Record

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.

This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.

Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.

During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.

With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.

In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.

This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.

Sports

Historic Test Debut in Guwahati as South Africa Reach 247/6 on Day 1

Published

2 months ago

November 23, 2025

Namma Kudla

On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.

South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.

India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.

The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.

Sports

India A Post 297/4 as Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes 144 Off 42 Balls

Published

2 months ago

November 14, 2025

Namma Kudla

India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.

Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.

India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.