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Australia, South Africa gear up for World Test Cricket Championship final

The World Test Cricket Championship final is all set to be held between Australia and South Africa at Lord´s in London from June 11 to 15.

Cummins returns as Australia’s captain after missing the tour of Sri Lanka because of the birth of his second child in February as well as being ruled out of the Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year because of an ankle injury.

Fellow pace bowler Josh Hazlewood is included after missing the Sri Lanka series with a hip injury, while teenage opener Sam Konstas could make his first overseas appearance after his debut in the Australian summer.

“We are fortunate and looking forward to having Pat, Josh and Cam back in the squad,” Australia chief selector George Bailey said.

“The team finished the WTC cycle with an impressive series victory in Sri Lanka following an equally strong summer in defeating India for the first time in a decade. “Those series capped a consistent performance across the two-year cycle and now present us with the incredibly exciting opportunity to defend the WTC.”

Australia are confident their World Test Championship final preparation will not be disturbed by the extension of the Indian Premier League’s season.

The experience of Starc and Hazlewood should leave them well equipped to make the quick transition. But asking Inglis to open the batting against Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s, flagged as a possibility by Bailey on Tuesday, could be a tougher ask.

The fitness of Starc and Hazlewood - the latter has been dealing with a shoulder niggle - could have knock-on effects for the rest of the WTC final XI. Green is poised to make his Test return as a batter only, but allrounder Beau Webster could hold his spot to shore up the bowling.

Kagiso Rabada will lead a South African pace bowling attack weakened by injury in the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord´s in London.

The 15-man squad includes six pace bowlers. But three of South Africa´s fastest bowlers missed selection.

Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee and Nandre Burger have all been hit by injuries before and during the championship cycle.

Rabada, who recently returned to cricket after serving a ban for recreational drug use, will be backed up by tall left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen as well as right-arm seamers in Dane Paterson, Lungi Ngidi and all-rounders Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch.

Ngidi missed the home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in December and January because of a groin injury but played in the Champions Trophy one-day competition in Pakistan in February and March.

“I´m particularly pleased to welcome Lungi back in the side,” said South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad.

Conrad. “He´s put in the work and offers us an experienced option with the ball.”Paterson, 36, is currently playing for English county Middlesex, who are based at Lord´s.

There are two spinners in the squad, left-armers Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy. Maharaj suffered a recurrence of a groin injury in March, which ruled him out of the rest of the South African domestic season, but has been passed fit to play.

South Africa´s batsmen have also had injury problems. Captain Temba Bavuma missed the domestic four-day final in April because of a recurrence of an elbow injury, while David Bedingham suffered a fractured toe while batting for Durham in an English county championship match in April.

Conrad said playing in the final would be a “special moment” for his players.

“Over the past 18 months, we´ve worked hard to build a competitive red-ball unit, and this achievement reflects that progress.

“A key part of our success has been consistency in selection, and we´ve stuck with the core group of players who have been part of this WTC cycle. We´ve selected a balanced squad for the conditions we expect at Lord´s.”

South Africa qualified for the final by winning eight of their 12 matches in the championship, including their last seven in a row.

Two of their three defeats were against New Zealand in a series which South Africa effectively forfeited because Cricket South Africa gave priority to the SA20 franchise competition.

“We’ve selected a balanced squad for the conditions we expect at Lord’s.

“I’m particularly pleased to welcome Lungi back in the side. He’s put in the work and offers us an experienced option with the ball.”

Rabada is one of six quick bowlers in the Proteas group, with Lungi Ngidi - who has not played Test cricket since last August - preferred over 19-year-old Kwena Maphaka.

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

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

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