Australia’s spinner Nathan Lyon is relying on his team’s experience in high-pressure situations as they prepare to face South Africa in the final of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC). The eagerly awaited match will start on June 11, with South Africa aiming to secure their first-ever ICC title in red-ball cricket.
Lyon, who has been in superb form throughout the 2023–25 WTC cycle, has taken 66 wickets in 16 matches at an impressive average of 24, the most by any spinner in the cycle. While he acknowledged the strength of South Africa’s batting line-up, Lyon mentioned that Australia‘s experience in big games could be a key factor in the outcome.
Australia enter the final as not only the defending WTC champions but also as a team filled with players who have previously won the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“With the experience of players who have won the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the World Test Championship final a couple of years ago, we certainly have that experience and composure in big-game situations. But that doesn’t guarantee anything when the game starts,” Lyon told ICC ahead of the final.
“South Africa have some top-class batters and world-class bowlers, so it’s going to be a great challenge. Plus, it’s a one-off Test match,” he added.
Although the Australian bowlers are more accustomed to the Kookaburra ball, the WTC final will be played in England with the Dukes ball.
“The foreign conditions and the use of the Dukes ball will present a unique challenge. It’s going to be a battle between the two best bowling attacks, which makes it even more exciting. So, it’s going to be a tough test for all the batters,” Lyon concluded.