London [UK] June 14 (ANI): Former Australia legendary batter Matthew Hayden reflected on Aussie defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025, against South Africa at the Home of Cricket Lord’s on Saturday and said “I honestly can’t even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord’s.”
This is just Australia’s third defeat in 24 Tests at Lord’s since World War II, the previous two coming in Ashes 2009 and Ashes 2013, respectively.
“The legacy of Australian cricket — its results and performances in ICC events — shows how much this team thrives on the big stage. I honestly can’t even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord’s; it’s been something like 22 years of dominance here,” Jio Expert Matthew Hayden said on Cricket Live.
With this victory, South Africa has laid their hands on their first-ever world title in international cricket. Also, this is their second ICC trophy after the ICC Knockout 1998.
Also, Australia skipper Pat Cummins’ golden run as a captain, which started with the retention of the Ashes series against England and was followed by an incredible WTC mace and 50-over World Cup wins over India, has come to a halt.
Hayden emphasised the significance of South Africa’s victory, particularly highlighting Lungi Ngidi’s performance in dismissing Steve Smith, a pivotal moment that shifted the game’s momentum.
“This South African side, which is relatively inexperienced compared to Australia at this stage in the World Test Championship cycle, this result is phenomenal. Take someone like Lungi Ngidi — virtually unplayable in the first innings, and then in the second, when it mattered most, he came in and dismissed Steve Smith. That moment was huge. Smith is such an iconic presence in the Australian setup, and from there, South Africa just kept rolling. That’s what finals are all about — finding a way,” he added.
Aiden Markram slammed a memorable century, and captain Temba Bavuma fought through injury to score a combined 102 runs in the match, as SA chased down a daunting target of 282 on Day 4. Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball, taking nine wickets in the match. (ANI)
