The ICC World Test Championship 2025 final will pit Australia against South Africa at Lord’s. A key aspect of the match is the duel between Steve Smith and Temba Bavuma, captains and vital contributors for their teams throughout the WTC cycle. South Africa, captained by Bavuma, has shown strong performance, securing seven consecutive victories to make it to the final. The game’s result may heavily rely on how these two experienced batsmen perform.
Steve Smith has an impressive Test record. He has scored 10,271 runs in 206 innings across 116 matches, averaging 56.74. He has 36 centuries and 41 half-centuries, confirming his status as one of Australia’s top Test batsmen. Against South Africa, Smith’s record shows 854 runs from 21 innings in 13 Tests, at an average of 44.94, with 2 centuries and 4 fifties. In the World Test Championship, Smith has 4,072 runs in 89 innings across 53 matches, averaging 50.90, with 13 hundreds and 17 fifties.
Temba Bavuma, while having fewer Test appearances, is essential to the South African team. He has played 63 Tests, scoring 3,606 runs in 108 innings at an average of 37.95, with 4 centuries and 24 half-centuries. Against Australia, Bavuma has played 9 matches, scoring 483 runs in 15 innings, averaging 40.25. He has yet to score a century against Australia; his highest score is 95 not out. In the WTC, Bavuma has 1,890 runs in 49 innings over 28 matches, averaging 43.95, with 3 centuries and 11 fifties, highlighting his significance as the second-highest African run-scorer in the competition.