Temba Bavuma, captain of South Africa, chose to bat first after winning the toss, putting Australia in the field. The focus was on South Africa’s pace attack, especially Kagiso Rabada. Rabada dismissed Usman Khawaja, after a series of maiden overs, showcasing his control and skill. This was particularly significant as it contrasted with Jasprit Bumrah’s performance, the world’s number one bowler, who has yet to take a wicket in WTC finals. Rabada’s performance against Australia’s top order also saw him dismiss Cameron Green. The dismissal of Khawaja marked Rabada’s 50th Test wicket against Australia. Throughout his Test career, Rabada has secured 327 wickets in 70 matches, with his best performance being 7/112 against England. This places him among the leading wicket-takers for South Africa in Test cricket.
South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(w), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood