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Australia batting great Steve Smith is expecting a tough examination from the impressive pace attack of South Africa in this week’s World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s.
Reigning champions Australia, who beat India in the WTC final in 2023, are favourites against the Proteas in the five-day match, which starts on Wednesday.
“South Africa have a particularly good bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada, his record speaks for itself. Marco Jansen — they are a good side, they are here for a reason,” Smith said on Monday.
Rabada, 30, has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22, while Jansen, 25, has 73 wickets at 21.76 in his 17 matches.
But former Test captain Smith also expects conditions at Lord’s to favour spin bowling later in the game, which could work to the advantage of Australia off-break bowler Nathan Lyon.
“I think spin will play a big part, particularly as the game wears on,” Smith added. “We’ve only been here a week, but I think it’s been a pretty dry start to the season over here.
“There hasn’t been too much rain, which is rare for England. It does look like quite a dry surface, and I think the footmarks will definitely come into play as the game wears on.”
Steve Smith has a superb Test record at London’s Lord’s ground, with 525 runs in five matches, including a double century and a hundred, at an average of 58.33.
“I’ve had a bit of success here,” said the 36-year-old. “It takes a bit of time getting used to the slope, one end thinking you are falling over, the other you feel a bit tall.
“It’s a nice wicket to bat on, but if there’s a bit of cloud about and the balls swing around, it can get tricky.”
Several members of the Australian squad have not played much first-class cricket in recent months, but Smith was confident they would quickly find their rhythm.
“All the batters feel like they’re in a good place, so now we’re just excited to go out and play,” he said.
“Lord’s is a place we traditionally played pretty good cricket, so we’re excited about the prospect of coming up against South Africa.”
England have repeatedly emphasised how their long-term planning is designed to create a team capable of winning an Ashes series for the first time in a decade when they tour Australia in 2025/26.
But Smith said Australia were fully focused on the task in front of them.
“The Ashes is a big series, but you can’t look too far ahead,” said Smith, winner of the Compton-Miller Medal for player of the Ashes series in 2017/18 and 2019.
“You’ve got to keep playing each game as it comes. Every game is important with the World Test Championship on the line.
“That’s the reason it came in: to make every Test more relevant.”
READ: Aiden Markram says South Africa woes ‘buried’ ahead of WTC final
