NEW DELHI: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bowl first against Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Wednesday. With overcast skies looming over London, the conditions looked ideal for South Africa’s pace attack to make early inroads. Australia, however, also bring a formidable pace battery into the contest.One of the notable developments for the reigning champions is Marnus Labuschagne stepping into the role of opener for the first time in his Test career.“We’ll have a bowl first,” said Bavuma at the toss. “The surface looks a good one, with solid overhead conditions.“I’m happy. It’s too late now for anything else. We’ve selected the best team for the conditions.”Reflecting on the occasion, he added: “It’s (a) massive (occasion). I think all of us have some sort of allegiance to Lord’s. It should be a spectacle of a game.”Australia skipper Pat Cummins remained unfazed by the conditions and was content with his side batting first.“There’s a few clouds but that’s not unusual for England,” he said. “It’s dry and might turn later in the match.“I don’t think there’s any extra pressure (as defending champions). We’ve been here before and won it. This week is about enjoying it.”Indian bowling legend Javagal Srinath officiated the high-stakes clash as the match referee.Both teams confirmed their playing XIs a day earlier.For Australia, all-rounder Beau Webster retains his spot at number six, while the experienced Josh Hazlewood has been selected ahead of Scott Boland in the pace department.South Africa have slotted all-rounder Wiaan Mulder at number three, and opted for Lungi Ngidi over Dane Paterson — despite Paterson’s recent county stint with Middlesex giving him local experience.Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada returns to the Test fold, playing his first match since serving a one-month ban earlier this year following a positive test for cocaine.South Africa are chasing their first major ICC trophy since clinching the Knockout (now known as the Champions Trophy) in 1998. In contrast, Australia, the current top-ranked side and 2023 WTC champions, have a rich history of success in white-ball tournaments.TEAMSAUSTRALIA: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wkt), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh HazlewoodSOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi NgidiUMPIRES: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG)TV UMPIRE: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)MATCH REFEREE: Javagal Srinath (IND)
