Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins admitted his side faced a “bridge too far” after they lost the World Test Championship (WTC) final to South Africa by five wickets at Lord’s on Saturday.
Despite being the reigning champions and heavily favoured against a South African team with fewer star players, Australia couldn’t defend their title.
South Africa successfully chased down a target of 282 runs before lunch on the fourth day, largely thanks to a superb 136 from opener Aiden Markram and a resilient 66 from captain Temba Bavuma.
Although Australia had a 74-run first-innings lead, they were unable to establish a dominant position, with South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s excellent match figures of 9-110 proving crucial.
“Things can change pretty quickly,” Cummins remarked at the post-match presentation, acknowledging the swift turnaround in fortunes.
Credit: The New York Times
He noted that only Steve Smith, with 66 in the first innings, managed a score of fifty or more among Australia’s specialist batsmen.
Compounding their woes, Smith suffered a dislocated finger while dropping a catch and is now doubtful for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados on June 25.
The team may also need to reassess its batting lineup more broadly, particularly with Marnus Labuschagne, who had a poor average of 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season, scoring just 17 and 22 at Lord’s after being promoted to open.
Cummins indicated that the team would “sit down and have a bit of a think” before their next Test series.
Despite the loss, Cummins was gracious in defeat, stating that South Africa “showed why they’re in this final and are deserved champions.”
He praised their “fantastic” performance in the fourth innings, noting, “There wasn’t a lot in the wicket, but they didn’t give us a chance.”
While jokingly preferring the previous WTC final format (where Australia won), Cummins reaffirmed his appreciation for the competition, calling it “fantastic” and the “pinnacle” of Test cricket.
