England legend James Anderson shares winning formula for WTC final at Lord’s

LONDON: England legend James Anderson weighed in with advice and insight on Tuesday ahead of the highly anticipated ICC World Test Championship Final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s.

With both teams boasting formidable pace attacks, Anderson believes the fast bowlers will play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the Ultimate Test, starting June 11.

Speaking at a private event in London on Monday, Anderson emphasised the importance of bowling length for seamers operating at Lord’s. He urged bowlers to resist the temptation of bowling too short.

"Here is definitely somewhere you need to pitch the ball up," Anderson adviced.

"A lot of people talk about the top of off stump being the ideal length, but I think here it's more three-quarters up the stump. That way you are a little bit fuller in length, so that's my advice for the seamers."

According to Anderson, the contest between one of the world’s premier fast bowlers and one of the most accomplished Test batters may determine the fate of the match.

"The main one for me will be Rabada against Steve Smith and I think that could be a really good, interesting battle," he said.

"Steve Smith is one of the best batters in the world and Kagiso Rabada is one of my favourite bowlers to watch. I think he's got so many attributes that just make me want to tune into the TV and watch him. He's a fantastic player, so I'm really looking forward to that battle."

Anderson also backed South Africa's decision to enlist his former England teammate Stuart Broad in a consulting role for the WTC final. 

"I think it's a smart move from South Africa. He is someone who's had great success in English conditions and he knows Lord's in particular.

"He knows the ground very well, he's had success here and I think he can give a lot of information and advice to the South African team, which will be great from their point of view," he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that the ICC world Test championship final is set to take place on June 11, at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London between South Africa and defending champions Australia.

South Africa currently leads the WTC 2023-25 standings, having won eight out of 12 Tests.

After a 1-1 drawn home series against India and a 2-0 defeat in New Zealand, they rebounded with series victories over the West Indies (1-0), Bangladesh (2-0), Sri Lanka (2-0), and Pakistan (2-0).

On the other hand, Australia stands second on the table, with 13 wins and four losses from 19 Tests.

Their journey included a 2-0 win against Sri Lanka, a 3-1 triumph over India, a 2-0 series win against New Zealand, and a 1-1 draw with the West Indies.

They also whitewashed Pakistan 3-0, while the Ashes series against England ended in a 2-2 draw.

Squads:

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson.