The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2024-25 is set to take place at the hallowed Lord’s cricket ground between South Africa and Australia on June 11 (Wednesday). However, Pat Cummins' Australian team faced an unexpected hurdle; they were initially denied practice at Lord's. Reports indicate that the Australian team was informed that Lord's was unavailable for training, compelling the team to travel three hours to find an alternative training ground.
Why Was Australia Denied Access?
The exact reason for the Australian team's denial at Lord’s remains unclear. However, Australian media suggest that it was due to the Indian team’s presence at the venue. According to these reports, Team India was using Lord’s for practice, preventing the Australians from doing the same. Fox Cricket claims that the Indian team was prioritized over the Australians for practice at Lord's, prompting Pat Cummins' team to return.
Fox Cricket highlighted that the World Test Championship final begins on June 11, yet the Indian team’s first Test against England is slated for June 20. Team India will also be playing a Test series against England, with the third match scheduled at Lord’s starting July 10.
Cummins Speaks Out on Australian Tour
Nevertheless, the Australian players were ultimately allowed to practice at Lord’s on Sunday. Australian captain Pat Cummins commented on the team's preparations and the continuous criticism they've faced when playing at the venue.
Source: aajtak
Cummins remarked, "Lord's looks fantastic this morning. It's serene with no one around. I believe the atmosphere will be more civil this time, unlike the heated exchanges during the last Ashes series. People must have learned, and it will be gentlemanly this time."
Australia’s Squad for the WTC Final:
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Traveling Reserve: Brandon Doggett.
South Africa’s Squad for the WTC Final:
Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Peterson, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy.
India’s 18-Member Team for England Tour:
Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain/wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
The England Team for First Test Against India:
Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jack Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
Full Schedule of India vs England Test Series, 2025
First Test: June 20-24, 2025 - Headingley, LeedsSecond Test: July 2-6, 2025 - Edgbaston, BirminghamThird Test: July 10-14, 2025 - Lord's, LondonFourth Test: July 23-27, 2025 - Old Trafford, ManchesterFifth Test: July 31-August 4, 2025 - The Oval, London
