In the Multan Test, the Pakistan team had to face a close defeat by 26 runs against England. With this defeat, the Pakistan team is out of the race for the WTC 2021-23 (World Test Championship).

Also read: PAKvENG: England win the second test by 26 runs to seal the test series

At one point it seemed that the host team captained by Babar Azam would win the match. But the trio of James Anderson, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson did not give Pakistan any chance to make a comeback. Meanwhile, after playing the last Test match against the British, Pakistan has to play a two-match Test series against the New Zealand team at home from the end of December. Like the Test Championship, this will be the last series of the neighboring country. Even if they win both matches, they will not be able to finish in the top two.

At the same time, Australia's team currently ranks first on the points table of the WTC 2021-23 with 75 percent wins. South Africa has 60 percent victory and they remain in second place in this list. The Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, is at number four with 52.08 percent marks. Sri Lanka is ahead of India at number 3, who have 53.33 points. Pakistan's team has slipped from fifth to sixth place after losing today's match. The English team has moved up one place to number five.

Also read: ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 Points Table

In June 2022, the final match of the WTC 2021-23 is to be played at the Oval ground in London. Before this, Team India has to play two matches against Bangladesh. At the same time, at the beginning of the new year, the Kangaroo team will visit India. Four-match Test series will be played between the two countries in there. To ensure India's place in the top-2, not only Bangladesh will have to lose both matches but also Australia will have to register a one-sided victory. If the Men in Blue fails to do so, then they will have to find a way to the final depending on the performance of other teams.

Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has suddenly returned to India, citing a family emergency as the reason. A BCCI source has given this information to news agency PTI.

The source said that Gambhir had to return to take care of his mother, who has been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi due to health complications. The Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team is in England to play a five-match IND vs ENG series, starting June 20 in Leeds.

Also Read: Exclusive: Advised by Sourav Ganguly, Abishek Porel gets coached by Yuvraj Singh; this is what he learned

Doeschate will look after the team for now

In Gambhir's absence, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate will oversee the team during the four-day intra-squad match between India and India A starting from Friday. He will be assisted by other coaching staff like bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Shitanshu Kotak. If all goes well at home, Gambhir is expected to return to England within a week.

Indian team would like to test its preparations

The Indian team will play intra-squad matches to finalise its preparations ahead of the IND vs ENG five-match Test series. India A played two unofficial Test matches against England Lions and the batsmen showed their prowess in them. Such matches are important for the preparation of the team before any series. India has opted to play this match in an empty stadium so that the opposing team does not get a clue of their strategy.

All eyes will be on Kuldeep-Jadeja

In this match, the performance of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will be watched and an interesting competition is expected between these two to make a place in the final eleven of the Indian Test team.

India's bowling coach Morne Morkel had said on Wednesday that the match is crucial for India's preparation as it is difficult to develop the ability to bowl and field 90 overs in a day through normal practice sessions. This match will give the Indian team management a good opportunity to assess its players, especially the bowlers, in match situations.

Also Read: Ellyse Perry predicts the winner of WTC 2025

This will help ensure that the bowlers, be it spinners or pacers, are in the required rhythm in the actual match. Gambhir will have to do some brainstorming to pick the only specialist spinner for Headingley.

Jadeja has a good batting record abroad but if India has to take 20 wickets then Kuldeep's role will become important. Kuldeep can prove to be a good partner of fast bowler Jaspreet Bumrah in the conditions here. Jadeja vs Kuldeep is the biggest puzzle for the playing XI that the team management will have to solve.

Eyes will be on fast bowlers as well

Similarly, this match will give the team management and captain Shubman Gill a chance to see which ball works better in these conditions - Akash Deep's full length or Prasidh Krishna's back of the length. Bumrah, who will be playing a red ball match after six months, will get a chance to bowl multiple spells and test his fitness. He has played only IPL since returning from a lower back injury.

In the high-stakes match of WTC final, every run saved and every wicket taken matters. This article will provide you with some extraordinary spells of bowlers around the world that made a big impact for their respective teams.

These figures define the epitome of world-class bowling performances in WTC finals. Get ready to dive into the best figures in ICC WTC Final.

1. Pat Cummins (6/28) vs SA, Lord's, 2025

The Australian Captain, Pat Cummins dismantled South Africa's batting line-up in their first innings of WTC 2025 Final, taking 6 wickets for just 28 runs. After getting bowled out for 212 while batting first, his spell restricted SA to only 138, providing them a 74-run lead.

His exceptional spell included dismissals of batters like Temba Bavuma, David Bendingham, and others. He also became the Australian captain with most 5-wicket hauls in Tests, and holds the 2nd place overall.

This performance bounds us to ask: Is Pat Cummins the greatest test bowling captain of this generation?

Read Also: Most 5-wicket hauls by a captain in Tests

2. Kyle Jamieson (5/31) vs IND, Southampton, 2021

The tall New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson was phenomenal in their inaugural WTC win against India in 2021. He exploited the English conditions perfectly and took 5 wickets for 31 runs, which included the dismissal of India's test legend, Virat Kohli.

Jamieson was also awarded Player of the Match in the final, which explains how crucial his performance was for their victory.

3. Kagiso Rabada (5/51) vs AUS, Lord's, 2025

The WTC 2025 Final saw another bowling brilliance from South African pacer Kagiso Rabada this time, who stands at the 3rd place with his 5 wickets for 51 runs against Australia.

Rabada marked his comeback for SA with vital dismissals of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in quick succession with his fiery deliveries.

4. Nathan Lyon (4/41) vs IND, The Oval, 2023

Australia's veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon played a crucial role in the second innings of the WTC 2023 Final. He used the assistance of the pitch and cleaned up India's lower order, including the decisive final wicket that sealed the victory.

He took 4 wickets for 41 runs with an economy of 2.64.

Read Also: Rabada passes Donald: Most Test wickets for South Africa

5. Tim Southee (4/48) vs IND, Southampton, 2021

New Zealand's swing maestro Tim Southee provided crucial breakthroughs in India's second innings of the 2021 final. He took 4 wickets for 48 runs, bowling for 19 overs, and delivered what Jamieson did in the first innings for them.

Southee dismissed Shami and Bumrah to wrap up the match quickly with his effective bowling.

Australian captain Pat Cummins made history by taking a five-wicket haul in the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's. He went past India's Bishan Singh Bedi in an all-time list of captains with most five-fers in Test cricket history. Cummins ran through the South African batting unit, leading Australia's fightback after they were bundled out for 212 in the first innings.

Also Read: Most Wickets in ICC Tournament Finals

In this article we will be discussing about the most 5-wicket hauls by a captain in Test cricket.

Most 5-wicket hauls by a captain in Tests

5. Jason Holder (West Indies) | 7 Times

Former Windies captain Jason Holder holds the fifth spot in this list. Holder picked up a 5-wicket haul seven times as a captain in Test cricket. Overall with the ball, Holder has 162 scalps at 30.27. He has eight five-wicket hauls to show besides a solitary match 10-fer. He claimed 1/39 across 17 overs in the first innings.

4. Bishan Singh Bedi (India) | 8 Times

Former Indian left-arm spinner, late Bishan Singh Bedi, is fourth on this list. Bishan Singh Bedi played 67 Tests for India and picked up 266 wickets at an average of 28.71 with 14 five-wicket hauls. When he retired, he was India's leading wicket-taker in the longest format.

He captained India in 22 Tests between 1975 and 1979, taking over from the great Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. During his time as Test captain, Bishan Singh Bedi bagged as many as eight five-wicket hauls.

3. Richie Benaud (Australia) | 9 Times

Former Australian all-rounder, late Richie Benaud, is second on this list. The legendary cricketer was among the most influential players of his time back in the day. From 1958 to 1963, he led Australia in 28 Tests. Australia dominated under his leadership and never lost a single series.

As Test captain, Richie Benaud picked up nine five-wicket hauls and is above Pat Cummins having played fewer Tests. Benaud represented Australia in 63 Tests in his career and bagged 248 wickets at an average of 27.03 with 16 five-wicket hauls overall.

2. Pat Cummins (Australia) | 9* Times

Current Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins, who previously had eight five-wicket hauls to his name as captain in the longest format, overtook Bishan Singh Bedi to move to number three on this elite list with his five-fer against South Africa in the 2025 WTC final.

Cummins now has nine five-wicket hauls as Test captain in his career. The Australian quick has played 67 Tests and has 294 wickets at an average of 22.43 with 13 five-wicket hauls so far (67 being the ongoing 2025 WTC final). He also broke several records with his stunning performance against South Africa.

Also Read: Rabada passes Donald: Most Test wickets for South Africa

1. Imran Khan (Pakistan) | 12 Times

Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Imran Khan tops the list of most 5-wicket hauls by a captain in Tests. From 1982-1992, Imran Khan led Pakistan in 48 Test matches. He is the only captain to take 5-wicket hauls in more than 10 times in Test cricket.

As Test captain, the former all-rounder bagged 12 five-wicket hauls, which is the most by any bowler to date. Overall, Imran Khan played 88 Tests in his international career and picked up 362 wickets at an average of 22.81 with 23 five-wicket hauls. Imran has also taken 10 or more wickets in 4 matches in his Test career, which is the most taken by any captain in this format.

South Africa has long been renowned for some of the most fearsome fast bowlers in Test cricket history. ln this lineage of greats, Kagiso Rabada has now made his mark by surpassing Allan Donald in terms of most test wickets for South Africa during the intense WTC 2025 Final.

Get ready to uncover the legendary names and legacies of world-class pacers of Proteas.

5. Allan Donald (330 wickets)

Allan Donald was one of the most feared fast bowlers of his era, known for his blinding speed and approach. He holds the 5th place with 330 wickets at an average of 22.25 for South Africa.

Donald earned the nickname "The White Lightning" because of his rapid speed and intense stare downs. His fiery spells often hit batsmen on the helmet and shook their confidence.

Donald stats in tests for SA:

Read Also: Most Wickets in ICC Tournament Finals

4. Kagiso Rabada (334 wickets)

South Africa's modern-day pacer, Kagiso Rabada, recently surpassed Donald with his five-wicket haul in the Day 1 of WTC 2025 final against Australia. He leaped to the fourth place with a total of 334 wickets in tests so far, and there's more to come.

Rabada is a key bowler who carries the bowling unit with his abilities of restricting strong batting lineups and imposing threat to the opponent. He holds the potential to climb more up in the coming years.

Rabada stats in tests for SA:

Read Also: Highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25

3. Makhaya Ntini (390 wickets)

Makhaya Ntini was a genuine speedster who bowled with attacking energy and an unique action. His on-field enthusiasm at all times was something that made him a crowd favourite.

Makhaya took 390 wickets in tests for South Africa, holding his place tight in the 3rd place for over a decade. He also made history by becoming the first black South African to take 10 wickets in a test match at Lord's in 2003.

Ntini stats in tests for SA:

2. Shaun Pollock (421 wickets)

Shaun Pollock was an excellent all-rounder who had an amazing bowling record in tests for the Proteas. While not as quick as Donald or Steyn, his consistent length and accuracy always did the job brilliantly.

Pollock served as a wicket-taking source and helped to keep the pressure on. He took 421 wickets with an economy less than 3 and has the second-most test wickets for South Africa.

He also has the most maidens among every bowler in the list.

Pollock stats in tests for SA:

1. Dale Steyn (439 wickets)

One of the greatest fast bowlers of all-time, Dale Steyn, has the most test wickets for South Africa. He was known to be a fearsome outswinger, who could swing the ball late at high speed.

He was famously known as "Steyn Gun" for his destructive bowling that made him nearly unplayable at times. He took 439 wickets in just 93 matches, which is believed to remain unmatched for many years to come.

Read Also: Fastest to complete 200 Test wickets by balls bowled

Steyn stats in tests for SA:

The ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 Final is in full swing at Lord's, an intense battle unfolding between cricketing giants Australia and South Africa. As Day 2 heats up, legendary all-rounder Ellyse Perry has stepped forward to reveal her predictions and insights.

Which team does the Australian icon believe has the edge? It it now time to find out.

Here's what Ellyse Perry predicts the winner of WTC 2025:

Ellyse Perry's WTC 2025 Champion

Ellyse Perry has backed her home nation, Australia, to emerge as the champions of the WTC 2023-25, without hesitation. She clearly has strong faith and confidence in the Australian side and their squad pick for the final, and believes they will take the title home for the 2nd time.

Read Also: Can South Africa escape the "chokers" tag in the WTC Final against Australia?

Perry's picks for individual glory: Smith for runs, Starc for wickets

Perry has also revealed the key performers she expects to dominate this monumental clash at Lord's:

• Most Runs: The Australian batter, Steve Smith, who is currently at the 6th position for most runs in WTC 2023-25 cycle with 1390 runs, will score the most runs in WTC 2025 final, according to Perry. Smith scored 66 runs in Day 1 and was dismissed by Aiden Markram.
• Most Wickets: Mitchell Starc is the pick for most wickets in WTC Final, who is currently at number 3 at highest wicket-takers list in WTC 2023-25 cycle, having taken 74 wickets. Starc took down both the South African openers in the conclusion of Day 1 in final.
• Player of the Match: Perry has gone with the wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey as the POTM pick, for his contributions as a middle-order batter and sharp dismissals.

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