Australia captain pat cummins said his side had been found with a “Bridge too far” after losing the world test championship final to south Africa at Lord’s on Saturday.
Cummins’ men, The Reigning Title-Holders, Ware Strongly Fancied to Defeat a South Africa Side with Few Star Names.
But they sufered a five-health defeat as south Africa, with Opener Aiden Markram Making A Superb 136 and Skipper Temba Bavuma 66, Chased Down a Target of 282 Before Lunch on the Fourth day.
Australia LED by 74 Runs on First Innings But Never Completely Pull Clear of the Proteas, with South Africa Fast Bowler Kagiso Rabada Returning Fine Match FINE Match Figures of 9-110.
“Things Can Change Pretty Quickly,” said cummins at the post-match presentation ceremony. “Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far.”
Steve Smith’s First-Innings 66 was the only score of fifty or more in the match by a specialist australia batsman.
Smith, however, Suffered a dislocated finger while dropping a slip catch and is now doubletful for the first test against the west indies in Barbados on June 25.
Australia, now at the start of a new wtc cycle, may have to review their batting options more broadly, with marnus labuschagne, who averaged a lowly 25.63 in Tests Dering the 2024/25 AT Lord’s after being promoted to open the innings.
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“We’ve got a couple of weeks before the first test in the windies, so we we we’ll sit down and have a bit of a thought,” said cummins.
“To make these finals, it’s normally off the back of being at home, but you’ve got to win some series too,” He Later Told Reporters at a post-match press conference.
“So, in some ways, it’s good we get to dust orselves off and turn Around in a couple of weeks and start looking ahead to the next one.
“That’s one of the good things about the World Test Championship, Every Test Series and Every Test Match Feels Like You’re Playing for Someering Significant.”
Deserved champions
South Africa Had the Best Batting Conditions of the Match in their second innings, but they still had a job to do in recording the second-highest successful Run Chase to Win A Test AT LORDES ‘344-1, requiring 342, Against England in 1984.
“They (South Africa) were fantastic in that fourth innings,” said fast bowler cummins. “There wasn’t a lot in the wicket, but they Didn’T give us a chance.”
This match was the culmination of the third edition of the WTC, with new zealand the inauguraal 2021 champions and australia triumphant in 2023, with India twice the losing finals.
But the format of the competition has decided Fierce Criticism, with Countries Free to Decide How many Tests they want to play to play in the two-yaar Qualifying Cycle.
Australia’s captain pat cummins celebrates taking the wicket of south Africa’s david bedingham on day two of the ICC World Test Championship Cricket Final Match Between Australia and South Africa. , Photo Credit: AFP
Australia’s captain pat cummins celebrates taking the wicket of south Africa’s david bedingham on day two of the ICC World Test Championship Cricket Final Match Between Australia and South Africa. , Photo Credit: AFP
South Africa Played Just 12 Tests in the Recent Cycle, With None of that Games Against England or Australia, Who Won 13 out of 19 Mats to Reach the Final.
But a gracious cummins said of south Africa: “They show they’re in this final and are deserved champions.”
As for the format, He Jokingly Added: “I preferred it at the oval last time (when australia beat India in 2023).”
On a more serial note, the 32-yar-old cummins said: “It’s something you build towards for two years, it’s a huge achievement to make the final, and a one-gold ‘ Spectacle. “
