As the cricketing world builds up to the highly anticipated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 between Australia and South Africa, former Indian cricketer and analyst Aakash Chopra has made a pointed observation: Pat Cummins is the biggest threat the Proteas will face at Lord’s. Known for his sharp analysis and bold opinions, Chopra’s statement carries weight, especially considering Cummins’ phenomenal form and his history of delivering in high-pressure games.
“Australia have many match-winners, but if South Africa are looking at one player who can completely alter the game on his own, it’s Pat Cummins,” Chopra said during a pre-final discussion. “He’s not just a fast bowler anymore. He’s a tactician, a leader, and someone who thrives in big games.”
The Australian captain has had a dream run over the past two years. Under his leadership, Australia won the World Test Championship in 2023, followed by the ODI World Cup the same year. His ability to remain calm under pressure while delivering game-defining spells has made him the heartbeat of the Australian Test setup. Chopra believes that on the lively surface of Lord’s, Cummins’ skill set poses a unique and potentially unanswerable challenge for South Africa’s top order.
“Pat doesn’t rely purely on pace. It’s his consistency, his understanding of length on English pitches, and the angles he creates from his slightly round-arm action that make him so deadly,” Chopra elaborated. “And we’ve seen how South Africa, historically, have struggled when early wickets fall. Cummins can exploit that vulnerability ruthlessly.”
South Africa enters the WTC Final in fine form, having registered strong Test series wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Their batting unit has shown resilience, and their pace attack led by Kagiso Rabada is among the most feared in the world. However, Chopra believes their Achilles’ heel could be their handling of top-tier pace in swinging conditions—an area Cummins has historically dominated.
Cummins has had an excellent individual run in English conditions. He was among the top wicket-takers in the last Ashes series in England and has a special connection with the Lord’s slope, which helps his natural shape into the right-hander become even more potent. Chopra cited this as a key factor. “South Africa’s top order must have a clear plan against Cummins. You can’t just hope to survive. You must look to counterattack wisely, rotate strike, and break his rhythm.”
Chopra also pointed out that Cummins is more than just a bowler now—he’s an exceptional leader whose captaincy has unlocked new dimensions of Australian cricket. “He knows when to attack, when to pull back, and how to use his bowlers. That’s what makes him such a total package,” he said.
As the WTC Final approaches, all eyes will be on both captains. But if Chopra’s assessment is anything to go by, South Africa’s fate may rest heavily on how they handle Pat Cummins in the first few sessions. One early burst from him could set the tone—and as history shows, when Cummins gets going, very few teams manage to recover.
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