South Africa overcame Pakistan by two wickets in a breathless conclusion at Centurion on Sunday to win the first Test and become the first team to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 at Lord’s from 11 to 15 June 2025, barring any subsequent point deductions.
Chasing 148 for victory, the home side battled back from 19 for three and 99 for eight to edge over the line on day four, thanks to a scintillating, unbeaten 51-run ninth wicket partnership between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.
The victory came as the Proteas extended their superb run of form in Tests to six successive wins, helping them reach 66.67 percentage points atop the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings with just one Test to play as the cycle draws to a close.
June’s Ultimate Test represents a week-long celebration of the longest format, and will see South Africa compete for the first time at the event, where they will be hoping to emulate previous winners from the southern hemisphere – New Zealand in 2021, and Australia in 2023.
With their opponents yet to be decided, the matchup promises to be a thrilling spectacle, pitting the two best Test teams against each other following a dramatic two years of intense competition at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground – the venue for some of the most memorable moments in the sport’s celebrated history.
Reacting to their qualification for the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said: “At the start of this World Test Championship cycle, we set our sights on reaching the Final. Given our journey to this point, it’s a proud moment for the entire team.
“It’s been a great effort from everyone, and it feels like all the hard work we’ve put in over the past 12 months has paid off. Different guys have stepped up at different times — it’s been a real team effort.
“I also want to give a special thanks to Shukri (Conrad), our coach. The belief he’s instilled in us over the last year has been huge. He’s always backed us, and that confidence has been key in getting us to this point.
“To play the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s is a dream come true for any cricketer – it’s a huge occasion, and we can’t wait to take it all in.”
With only six Tests left to play in the WTC calendar, the last remaining contenders India, Australia and Sri Lanka continue to do battle in the hope of securing the last spot at the Ultimate Test.
Australia have the upper hand currently with 58.89 percentage points and three remaining fixtures after the ongoing Melbourne Test match, while India stand on 55.88 percentage points with just the solitary Test to play – the last contest in the Border-Gavaskar Series in Sydney starting 2 January.
Sri Lanka, on 45.45 percentage points, also retain a mathematical possibility of qualification, but they will need to sweep Australia in their two-match series on home soil next month and hope that other results go their way.
Remaining fixtures in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25:
2 January – Australia v India, Sydney
3 January – South Africa v Pakistan
17 January – Pakistan v West Indies, Multan
25 January – Pakistan v West indies, Multan
29 January – Sri Lanka v Australia, Galle
6 February – Sri Lanka v Australia, Galle
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