Nathan Lyon anticipates fierce bowling battle in WTC final against South Africa

Australia's seasoned off-spinner, Nathan Lyon, has expressed his excitement ahead of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, highlighting the fierce competition between two of the world's best bowling attacks.

Set to take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in England from June 11 to 15, the WTC final promises to be a thrilling contest. Lyon acknowledged the challenge posed by South Africa’s emerging batting talents, having faced some of them in county cricket last year.

"South Africa's gonna be a big challenge. They've got some upcoming batters who are very talented," Lyon said. "I played against a couple of them in county cricket last year. But I think it's gonna be yet again two of the best bowling attacks going at each other. So, it's gonna be a good challenge for all our batters in both teams."

Lyon emphasized the significance of playing in a final, describing it as the ultimate goal for any cricketer. "It’s another final, isn’t it? That’s what you want to play cricket for—you want to be in the finals, you want to win trophies. So, we get the chance to defend, and that’s pretty exciting."

In addition to looking forward to the final, Lyon also expressed relief and support for his teammate Matt Kuhnemann, who was recently cleared of a suspect bowling action by the ICC. Kuhnemann had been reported by match officials during a series in Sri Lanka earlier this year but has since been exonerated. The left-arm spinner received a further boost when he was named among Cricket Australia’s contracted players for the 2025-26 season.