ICC chief Jay Shah rings the bell at Lord's to commence ICC WTC 2025 final

The final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 between Australia and South Africa began on Wednesday, June 11, at the home of cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England. Before the official start of the match, ICC Chairman Jay Shah rang the iconic bell of Lord’s to commence the final. Shah expressed his honour at being given the privilege to ring the bell at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground, marking the start of play on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship Final between South Africa and Australia.

 

Sharing his sentiments through a social media post, Shah described the moment as a special one, underscoring the significance of being part of such a prestigious occasion at one of the most revered venues in world cricket. His gesture symbolically set the stage for the high-stakes final, where two of the world’s top Test teams began their quest for the ultimate title in red-ball cricket.

 

 

A privilege to ring the bell at the historic Lord’s ground before the start of play on day one of the @icc World Test Championship final between @ProteasMenCSA and @CricketAus pic.twitter.com/4tsCr78aik

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 11, 2025

South Africa take early lead on Day 1

Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s saw South Africa take early control after skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia. The match began with a cautious start as Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne negotiated three consecutive maiden overs, showing discipline against the new ball.

 

However, the momentum quickly shifted when Kagiso Rabada produced a game-changing over, dismissing Khawaja for a duck and removing Cameron Green shortly after he had struck a boundary. With Australia reeling early, Steve Smith joined Labuschagne to steady the innings.

 

But just as the pair began to rebuild, Marco Jansen struck in the 18th over, forcing Labuschagne to edge one behind the stumps. Travis Head walked in with aggressive intent, finding the boundary early, while Smith also looked to anchor the innings with some well-timed strokes.

 

The Proteas, however, landed another crucial blow on the brink of lunch. Jansen claimed his second wicket as Head, looking to push on, was caught behind in the final over of the session. At lunch, Australia found themselves in a spot of bother at 67 for 4, with plenty of work left to do in the afternoon session.