SA vs AUS, WTC Final 2025: Why the battle for Test supremacy matters more to South Africa?

South Africa faces Australia in the WTC Final, aiming to end a 27-year ICC title drought. The Proteas hope to shed their 'chokers' tag and define a new era for South African cricket.

South Africa will lock horns with Australia in the much-anticipated World Test Championship Final (WTC) on June 11 at iconic Lord’s cricket ground.

The World Test Championship final is the pinnacle of red-ball cricket. For most nations, it’s a coveted prize, but for South Africa, it is more than a title decider. As Proteas, who finished at the top of the WTC 2023-25 points table, gear up for battle for Test supremacy, it is likely to carry more emotional, historical, and cultural significance for the side than it would for a side like Australia.

South Africa’s ICC title drought has lasted over 2 decades

When South Africa players step onto the Lord’s cricket ground for the WTC final against Australia, their only ambition will be to end their long ICC title drought. The Proteas have not tasted ICC glory since winning the 1998 Champions Trophy title under the leadership of Hansie Cronje.

Over the years, South Africa produced the finest talents, including Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, and Shaun Pollock, to name a few, but despite their abundance of talent, the Proteas failed to end the title drought. The 27-year ICC title drought has been South African cricket’s painful narrative, a tale of heartbreaks, near-misses, and unfilled potential at the world stage.

South African batter Aiden Markram stated that the team is not focusing on others’ wins, while admitting that the Proteas have long pursued a major trophy.

“(There's) not much chat along those lines in terms of watching the other events, but hopefully that trend can continue," Markram told ICC Digital ahead of the Final. Obviously, we've been chasing it now for many years as a squad," Markram said as quoted by the ICC.

“Across all formats, we've probably improved slightly throughout and had sniffs to win it. If we can get ourselves into a position over the five days of the Test match to win, we'll push really hard for that,” he added.

A win in the World Test Championship Final would not be just a title, but also a relieving moment for an entire generation of South African cricket fans who have long waited to see the team succeed on the world stage.

Carrying unwanted ‘chokers’ for years

Over the years, South Africa has been carrying and battling the unwanted ‘chokers’ tag in knockout matches of the ICC tournaments. Proteas were always one of the favourites to win an ICC trophy across all formats, including the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup. But South Africa always falters in crucial knockout matches. One of the best examples is the T20 World Cup final, where South Africa required 30 runs off 30 balls to win against Team India. However, Proteas crumbled under pressure in crucial moments of the final and fell short by just 7 runs.

In the Champions Trophy this year, South Africa reached the semifinal and faced New Zealand for a spot in the final, but again the same story continued as they lost by 50 runs while chasing a 363-run target. South Africa’s consistent faltering in crucial knockout matches has deepened the perception of them being perennial underachievers, just like Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who ended their 18-year IPL drought.

The upcoming WTC Final is the best chance for South Africa to finally shed the ‘chokers’ tag and end their 27-year title drought to rewrite a golden chapter in their cricket history.

Defining moment for a new generation of South African players

With the likes of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Tony de de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, and Ryan Rickelton rising through the ranks, South Africa is entering a new era in Tests. These players played a crucial role in ensuring the Proteas earn their qualification to the World Test Championship final.

Temba Bavuma has been the strongest pillar for the Test side, not just as a captain but also a calm and composed middle-order batter who anchored key innings and led the team with resilience and purpose throughout the WTC 2023-25 cycle. Bavuma’s captaincy will be in the spotlight when South Africa begins their quest for a maiden WTC triumph against Australia, as he shoulders the hopes of a nation desperate to rewrite its legacy with a historic ICC title win at the Home of Cricket.

South Africa has always been always be a formidable side blessed with talent and match-winners over the last three decades, but their inability to cross the final hurdle has haunted them for years and making the WTC Final a chance to finally silence their critics and fulfil their long-standing potential on the biggest stage.

Can South Africa end their title drought against Australia?

As South Africa aim for their maiden ICC title since 1998, the question is whether the Proteas can taste their ICC glory again against Australia, who are the defending champions of the WTC. Australia is already a team with a rich legacy of winning ICC tournaments, including winning the WTC and ODI World Cup in the same year (2023), and they will enter the clash with confidence, experience, and psychological edge of having delivered consistently under pressure.

The Aussies are already a dominant force in world cricket. While a second WTC title would certainly reinforce their supremacy at global events, the emotional weight of victory simply doesn’t compare. Australia has been there and they have done it. For Australia, the WTC is just another title, but for South Africa is destiny.

However, Australia too would not leave any stone unturned in their pursuit of a second successive WTC title, aiming to further cement their dominance in red-ball cricket. And, South Africa will have to bring their absolute best, the skill and temperament, to overcome the reigning champions and script a fairytale ending to decades of heartbreak.