WTC Final: Will Australia make changes in the top order of the Test team? Pat Cummins hinted after the defeat in the final
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Australia captain Pat Cummins has indicated that changes can be made in the batting top order of the Test team. Australia lost by five wickets in the title match of the World Test Championship (WTC) against South Africa on Saturday. This is Australia’s first defeat in the final of an ICC tournament in the last 15 years.
Australia could not defend the title
After this defeat, Cummins has indicated that changes can be made in the top order in the new WTC cycle. South Africa won the WTC title for the first time by defeating Australia by five wickets in the final played at Lord’s ground in London on Saturday. In this way South Africa ended its 27-year drought of winning the ICC trophy. The team last won the Knockout Trophy (now Champions) title in 1998. Defending champions Australia had given South Africa a target of 282 runs, but South Africa won by scoring 285 runs for five wickets. This is South Africa’s third biggest successful run chase in Tests.
The team entered as a strong contender
Australia entered the WTC final as a strong contender. The Kangaroo team has an excellent record in ICC tournaments and has won a total of 10 titles including six ODI World Cups, two Champions Trophy and one T20 World Cup and WTC. However, the South African team led by Temba Bavuma registered a memorable win at Lord’s.
Cummins admitted that the team would think a bit about the makeup of the Test team’s playing-11 before their next series. He said, it feels like a new beginning. With a new WTC cycle, the team can use the opportunity to reevaluate and reset. Losing the toss on the first day and being invited to bat is never easy for the top order. But yes, I think there will probably be some people in the line-up who would have wished they could have done a little better.
Disappointing performance of the top order
Cummins said, ‘It will be a bit like a new beginning. Do we think now is the right time for a change or are you with the team that took us to the final? I think we have a few weeks before the first Test with the Windies, so I think we will sit down and think a bit after this match.’ The main reason for Australia’s poor performance in the WTC final was the disappointing performance of the top-order batsmen. Usman Khawaja could not impress and scored zero and six runs. Marnus Labuschagne was sent to open for the first time. Cameron Green also failed at number three.
