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South Africa speedster Anrich Nortje who is making a comeback from injuries, believes that the Proteas have a good chance of defeating Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is scheduled to take place later this year in England. Nortje recently featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after recovering from a serious back injury.
Nortje hasn't played a Test since 2023, as he took a break from the longest format of the game last year has picked up 70 wickets in 19 Test outings. Ahead of the WTC final, which will take place from June 11 to 15, Nortje believes that playing in English conditions at Lord’s is something that the Proteas are well accustomed to.
South Africa have won five out of their last seven matches at the iconic Lord's, with their most recent win coming in 2022 against England.
“Lord's has been a good ground for South Africa. I think the team's done really well there over the past,” Nortje said in an interview with Hindustan Times.
“It's an exciting time. It's obviously a massive tournament and a massive opportunity for South Africa. So we're really excited to see how that can pan out.”
Nortje also looked at South Africa's recent form in the longest format of the game, which saw them finish on top of the World Test Championship standings and become the first team to qualify for the final.
After losing an away series against Australia in January 2023, the Proteas have registered five wins and a draw in their seven-Test series. They lost one match against New Zealand away from home.
“The boys have been doing well over the last few years. The coach (Shukri Conrad) has really brought in some positive energy and changed a few things. But the way they've been playing, it's been brilliant to see everyone sort of chipped in," Nortje added.
“Everyone's performed different combinations at times. But everything's sort of been towards trying to win the games, which is what you want at the end of the day.”
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