Pat Cummins openly admits he's happy India didn’t reach WTC Final

Australia National Cricket Team captain Pat Cummins is all set to lead his side in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final, and this time, there’s a new twist. Instead of the usual India vs. Australia clash, Pat Cummins and Co. will be taking on South Africa at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 11.

Cummins admitted that he was expecting India to be in the WTC Final 2025 but stressed that the defending champions are not taking South Africa lightly by any means. For the past few years, ICC finals have been played between India and Australia, including the last WTC Final and the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

But Australia ended India’s hopes of making another WTC final appearance by winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 earlier this year. And this time, South Africa made it to the finals after consistent performances throughout the WTC cycle 2023-25.

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Pat Cummins says 'It's refreshing to see South Africa in WTC Final 2025'

Taking a dig at India, Cummins admitted that it feels refreshing to see a different team in the final. The Australian pacer also said that he is not at all surprised to see the South African side making their way to the WTC final 2025. He stressed that the Proteas will bring a strong fight to the big game.

Pat Cummins was quoted as saying by The Guardian, “In some ways you expect India to be around. England has been quite strong at home, and New Zealand always seems to get to the finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events. We just don’t see a lot of them in Test cricket, but it’s nice and different to an Australia-India final.”

Pat Cummins defends South Africa's 'Different Route' to WTC Final 2025

The Australian skipper also addressed the criticism South Africa faced for having a seemingly easier route to the WTC final. The Proteas didn't play against the top teams such as Australia, England, and India in the WTC 2023-2025 cycle.

However, Cummins downplayed the criticism by saying that nobody can blame South Africa for having a “different route” to the final, and they can only beat the teams they play against. He added, “You can only beat who you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough, but I don’t blame South Africa for having a different route.”

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Pat Cummins praises South Africa's well-rounded attack ahead of WTC Final

Even the Australian captain praised South Africa ahead of the final and said that they’re a strong team with a well-rounded attack. He highlighted spinner Keshav Maharaj as a key threat and noted that South Africa’s pace bowlers always bring intensity. Since Australia and South Africa have not played many Tests, Cummins admitted that there's still some uncertainty.

Cummins signed off by saying, “It's hard to say because there are so many unknowns. We haven't played them much, but you've got to be really well balanced to make the final. Their bowling has always stood out, and it's no different now. Keshav Maharaj is a really solid spinner, and they've always got plenty of quick bowlers who pose a challenge.”

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