AUSTRALIA and South Africa clash in Wednesday’s ICC World Test Championship at Lord’s.

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Australia vs South Africa preview

Lord’s hosts what promises to be a cracking contest as Australia take on South Africa in the final of the ICC World Test Championship on Wednesday.

Australia, the reigning champions after defeating India at The Oval in 2023, enter the match as firm favourites, priced at 3/10 to retain their crown.

And it’s not hard to see why.

The Baggy Greens, currently the top-ranked Test side in the world, arrive with the formidable core that clinched the title two years ago.

Under the leadership of Pat Cummins, Australia secured an impressive 3-1 series win over India at home earlier this year and were the standout side in the 2023–2025 WTC cycle.

They won 13 of their 19 Tests during that span and avoided defeat in all of their six series, seeing off challenges from England, Pakistan, the West Indies, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka.

As for South Africa, this final marks their first appearance in a World Test Championship decider, having missed out in the previous cycle when finishing third.

Their path to the final has been a little different.

After drawing with India at home and suffering a 2-0 defeat away to New Zealand, the Proteas found form with wins over West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Yet critics will point out that South Africa have had a more favourable schedule – notably avoiding both Australia and England on their way to the final.

In terms of recent head-to-head encounters, there’s little to draw on. Their last meeting came in January 2023, when Australia claimed a convincing 2-0 home series win.

Australia vs South Africa betting odds

• Australia 3/10 with Midnite – CLAIM HERE

• South Africa 2/1 with bet365 – CLAIM HERE

Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

South Africa preview betting tips and predictions

Steve Smith to score a century – 3/1 with bet365

The former Australian captain hasn’t played since March but is raring to go as the Baggy Greens look to defend their World Test Championship title they won at the Oval two years ago, in a game where Smith scored a hundred in victory over India.

Smith has a fantastic record batting at Lord’s, with an average of 58 at the home of cricket and is already on the honours board twice, after a mammoth double hundred in 2015 followed by a ton on his most recent visit to the Home of Cricket in 2023.

Kagiso Rabada to take five wickets in the match – 4/5 with bet365

The South African pace bowler has only played two Tests at Lord’s in his career but has a fantastic record at the north London ground, taking 13 wickets at an average of 19, with no other player in either squad having taken more ahead of this week’s WTC final.

The 30-year-old is the Proteas’ leading active wicket taker with 327, and is only three short of climbing into the top four on the all-time list for South Africa, doing so with the best average out of any of the top 14 on the list.

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