The ICC World Test Championship 2025 final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground will see a face-off between Australia and South Africa. A key subplot to the match is the individual battle between Steve Smith, the former Australian captain, and Temba Bavuma, the current South African captain. Both are vital to their team’s prospects in this WTC cycle. South Africa, under Bavuma, has enjoyed a strong run, winning seven matches in a row to reach the final. The contributions of these two batsmen are likely to be decisive in determining the winner.
Steve Smith’s Test career is decorated with remarkable achievements. He has scored 10,271 runs in 206 innings across 116 matches, maintaining an average of 56.74. His record includes 36 centuries and 41 half-centuries, cementing his place as one of Australia’s top Test batsmen. Against South Africa, Smith has managed 854 runs in 21 innings across 13 Tests, with an average of 44.94, featuring 2 centuries and 4 fifties. In the World Test Championship alone, he has scored 4,072 runs in 89 innings over 53 matches, averaging 50.90, with 13 hundreds and 17 fifties.
Temba Bavuma has played fewer Tests, but his role in the South African team is significant. He has played 63 Test matches, scoring 3,606 runs in 108 innings at an average of 37.95. This includes 4 centuries and 24 half-centuries. Against Australia, Bavuma has played 9 matches, scoring 483 runs in 15 innings, averaging 40.25. His highest score against them is 95 not out. In the WTC, Bavuma has accumulated 1,890 runs in 49 innings across 28 matches, averaging 43.95, with 3 centuries and 11 fifties, positioning him as the second-highest African run-scorer in the competition.