Cummins says WTC final ‘a bridge too far’ for beaten Australia

LONDON: Australia captain Pat Cummins said his side had been faced with a “bridge too far” after losing the World Test Championship final to South Africa at Lord´s on Saturday.

Cummins´ men, the reigning title-holders, were strongly fancied to defeat a South Africa side with few star names.

But they suffered a five-wicket defeat as South Africa, with opener Aiden Markram making a superb 136 and skipper Temba Bavuma 66, chased down a target of 282 before lunch on the fourth day.

Australia led by 74 runs on first innings but could never completely pull clear of the Proteas, with South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada returning fine match figures of 9-110. “Things can change pretty quickly,” said Cummins at the post-match presentation ceremony. “Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far.”

Steve Smith´s first-innings 66 was the only score of fifty or more in the match by a specialist Australia batsman.

Smith, however, suffered a dislocated finger while dropping a slip catch and is now doubtful for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados on June 25.

Australia, now at the start of a new WTC cycle, may have to review their batting options more broadly, with Marnus Labuschagne who averaged a lowly 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season, out for 17 and 22 at Lord´s after being promoted to open the innings.

“We´ve got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we´ll sit down and have a bit of a think,” said Cummins. “To make these finals, it´s normally off the back of being really strong at home, but you´ve got to win some away series too,” he later told reporters at a post-match press conference.

“So, in some ways, it´s good we get to dust ourselves off and turn around in a couple of weeks and start looking ahead to the next one.

“That´s one of the good things about the World Test Championship, every Test series and every Test match feels like you´re playing for something significant.”