As South Africa prepares to play of their first-ever ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, former Proteas stalwart AB de Villiers gave beneficial recommendation and tactical perspective ahead of the all-important conflict in opposition to Australia. The final, scheduled to start on June 11 at the long-lasting Lord’s in London, marks a major second for South African cricket as they chase a maiden WTC title.
While talking to Star Sports across the historic venue, de Villiers emphasised the distinctive challenges posed by the situations at Lord’s, notably the motion off the pitch and thru the air that makes life tough for batters.
“Lord’s is a tricky ground to play on. You’ve got the ball moving around more than most grounds in the world for a longer period of time,” de Villiers stated.
“You’re never in, and that’s probably my best advice to the batters, to sort of respect the bowlers, whether it’s the first over or the 67th over. You’re never in, so just respect the game,” he added.
With Australia coming into their second consecutive WTC final and South Africa making their first look, the stakes couldn’t be greater. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, are available in with the expertise of having gained the title in 2023, whereas the Proteas wish to script a brand new chapter of their red-ball historical past.
From a bowling standpoint, de Villiers burdened the significance of hitting fuller lengths to take advantage of the standard Lord’s help for seamers.
“Lord’s, you generally want to be a bit fuller as a seam bowler and try and get the best out of the conditions,” he famous.
“There’s always a bit of seam movement for the seam bowlers. So I would probably urge my bowlers to bowl full and straight for as long as possible,” he stated.
South Africa’s tempo assault, comprising the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi, is anticipated to play a pivotal position in swinging the momentum their approach. With the unpredictability that Lord’s affords, management and self-discipline with the brand new ball may outline the end result of the match.
Published – June 09, 2025 04:03 am IST
