Top 3 Australian batters to watch out for in WTC finals

The Australian cricket team are set to defend their World Test Championship crown on 11th June against South Africa. The match is set to be played at the home of cricket, Lord’s. Australia come into the massive encounter on the back of their series win at home against India. The 3-1 series win not only confirmed Australia’s entry into the WTC finals but also helped them win the Border-Gavaskar series. 

Last time, Australia beat India to claim their first WTC title in 2023. Since then, Australia have seen David Warner retire while the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Usman Khawaja, and Steve Smith are in the final leg of their career. Australian captain Pat Cummins has been a huge revelation since taking on the leadership role. 

Since taking over as the captain, Pat Cummins has led his side to the WTC title win and the ODI Cricket World Cup. Australia also beat Sri Lanka away from home with a 2-0 margin. With the current success, Australia will be starting as the favorite to retain their WTC finals. 

Here are the top 3 Aussie batters to watch out for in WTC finals

3. Usman Khawaja 

Australian opener Usman Khawaja is entering the final phase of his cricket career and will want to end it on a high with yet another ICC title to his name. The left-handed batter didn’t have a great series with the bat against India at home. There is a class that Khawaja brings to the table, especially with his experience as an opening batter. Khawaja has played 11 Tests against South Africa and scored 756 runs with a best of 195 not out, which is one of the two centuries he has scored against the Proteas. Khawaja has also hit five half-centuries with an average of 40. 

2. Travis Head

One of the most dangerous batters in modern-day cricket is none other than Travis Head. The 32-year-old has been at the top of his game with the bat during the home series against India. So far, Head has played three games against South Africa, scoring 213 runs with a best of 92 and has an average of 53. The left-handed batter has also hit three fifties against South Africa. 

1. Steve Smith 

Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith has been in prime form with the bat and has already scored four centuries in his last five Test matches. The 36-year-old will be a key batter to watch out for in the WTC finals against South Africa at Lord’s. Smith has already scored 854 runs from 12 Test matches against South Africa with two centuries and four half-centuries, with an average of 44. Smith also has a good record at the home of cricket, scoring 525 runs with a best of 215. The right-handed batter an averages 58 at the iconic cricketing venue.