Ye dono teams pichle tees saalon se aisi jung lad rahi hain jo dil ko chhoo jati hai, lekin aksar South Africa ke fans ke liye dil todne wali hoti hai. Lord’s ke maidan par ab World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 ka final hone wala hai, aur yeh ek aur bada mauka hai, lekin saath hi saath ek bada challenge bhi. South Africa ka Australia ke khilaaf record, khas kar ke bade matches mein, hamesha se thoda kamzor raha hai. Australia ka palda bhari raha hai, chahe baat Test matches ki ho ya limited overs ki. 1990s se lekar ab tak, Australia ne apni consistency aur aggressive cricket se South Africa ko kai baar peeche chhoda hai. Yaad hai 1999 ka World Cup semi-final? Woh match jisme South Africa ke Lance Klusener aur Allan Donald ke run-out ne match tie kar diya, aur Australia final mein chala gaya. Aisa laga jaise South Africa ke haathon se jeet chheen li gayi.
Lekin thodi der ke liye us dukh ko bhool jao. South Africa ka cricket itihas bhi toh kuch kam shandaar nahi hai. Jab se 1991 mein unki international cricket mein wapsi hui, unhone Lord’s jaise bade maidan par apna jhanda gaada hai. 1994 mein unhone England ko Lord’s par hara kar sabko dikha diya ke woh kisi se kam nahi. Aur 2012 mein, jab Graeme Smith aur Vernon Philander ki team ne England ko hara kar Test rankings mein number one ka darja haasil kiya, tab South Africa ke fans ke chehre par ek alag hi khushi thi. Philander ne toh us match mein 5 wickets lekar maidaan maar liya tha. Ab 2025 ke WTC final mein, Temba Bavuma ki captaincy mein South Africa ek nayi kahani likhne ke liye taiyaar hai. Unka recent form bhi kamaal ka hai – pichle saat Test matches jeet chuke hain, jisme Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, aur Pakistan ke khilaaf series jeeti hain. Kagiso Rabada toh jaise aag ugal raha hai – 47 wickets in this WTC cycle at an average of 19.97! Yeh team ab ek unit ke roop mein khel rahi hai, jisme koi ek superstar par depend nahi hai. Keshav Maharaj bhi apne spin se Australia ke batsmen ko pareshan kar sakta hai, jaisa unhone 2022 mein Lord’s par England ke khilaaf kiya tha.
Australia ke khilaaf South Africa ka josh bhi kuch alag hi hota hai. Yaad hai 2008-09 ka woh Test series jab South Africa ne Australia ko unke ghar mein 2-1 se hara diya tha? Dale Steyn aur Morne Morkel ki pace attack ne Australian batting ko tabaah kar diya tha. Aur phir 2016 mein, Perth ke WACA ground par, Kagiso Rabada ke five wickets aur Dean Elgar aur JP Duminy ke centuries ne South Africa ko ek yaadgaar jeet dilayi. Yeh pal batate hain ke South Africa ke paas woh dum hai jo Australia ko hara sake. Lord’s ke slope wale pitch par, jaha pace bowlers ko zyada fayda milta hai, South Africa ke Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, aur Marco Jansen Australia ke Steve Smith aur Travis Head jaise batsmen ke liye bada khatra ban sakte hain. Aur yeh bhi yaad rakhna ke Australia ne Lord’s par pichle 10 saalon se koi Test nahi haara, lekin South Africa ka Lord’s par record bhi shandaar hai – 1991 ke baad 7 Tests mein 5 jeet aur ek draw.
Ab thodi si baat future ki bhi kar lete hain. Yeh WTC final ek mauka hai South Africa ke liye apne pichle heartbreaks ko bhulane ka. 1998 ke Champions Trophy ke baad unhone koi bada ICC title nahi jeeta. 2024 ke T20 World Cup final mein bhi woh Australia ke haathon thodi si door reh gaye. Lekin is baar team mein ek alag sa josh hai. Temba Bavuma ki leadership, Rabada ka fire, aur team ka never-say-die attitude unhe ek dangerous side banata hai. Australia bhi koi kam nahi hai – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, aur Mitchell Starc ki pace trio kisi bhi batting line-up ko dhwasth kar sakti hai. Travis Head toh WTC finals mein apna alag hi roop dikha chuka hai – 2023 final mein India ke khilaaf 163 runs
Lekin yaha ek baat dil ko chubhati hai. South Africa ke liye yeh mauka bada hai, lekin pressure bhi utna hi bada. Australia ke khilaaf unka history unhe yaad dilata hai ke bade matches mein woh aksar chook jate hain. 1999 ka semi-final ho ya 2003 World Cup ka woh match jaha miscalculation ne unhe tournament se bahar kiya, South Africa ke fans ke liye yeh pal ek nightmare ki tarah hain. Lord’s ke is bade stage par, kya woh apne aap ko sambhal payenge? Australia ka mental toughness aur big-match experience unhe ek step aage rakhta hai. South Africa ke liye yeh jung sirf skills ki nahi, balki dil aur dimaag ki bhi hai. Bas yahi soch kar dil thoda sa baith jata hai ke kahin yeh ek aur missed opportunity na ban jaye.
