Australia ke khilaf Lord’s mein 11-15 June 2025 ko hone wala yeh final ek bada challenge hai. South Africa pehli baar WTC final mein pahunchi hai, lekin team ke batsmen, khas kar ke unke middle order, ko lekar thodi chinta bhi hai. Tristan Stubbs jaise naye chehre par sabki nazar hai, lekin kya woh is bade mauke par khud ko sabit kar payenge? Unki consistency aur bade stage par performance par sawal uth rahe hain, kyunki unka Test record abhi utna mazboot nahi hai.
Lekin is sab ke bawajood, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden ne Stubbs ke liye badi baat kahi hai. Unhone Stubbs ki taareef karte hue kaha ki woh South Africa ke liye ek “X-factor” ho sakte hain, jaise kabhi Kevin Pietersen England ke liye the. Hayden ne Star Sports se baat karte hue kaha, “Someone like Tristan Stubbs, I think, can be a bit of an X-factor. Similar to the way that Kevin Pietersen was in the England side against Australia, who can come out, start to dominate.” Yeh ek bada compliment hai, kyunki Pietersen apne time mein ek aisa batsman the jo apne aggressive style se match ka rukh palat dete the. Yaad kijiye 2005 Ashes series, jab Pietersen ne apni explosive batting se Australia ke bowlers ko pareshan kiya tha, khas kar ke unki 158-run ki inning Manchester mein, jisme unhone Shane Warne aur Glenn McGrath jaise bowlers ko bhi nahi baksha. Stubbs ke liye aisi taareef ek bada boost hai.
Stubbs ka recent form bhi unke favor mein hai. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mein Delhi Capitals ke liye khelte hue unhone 14 matches mein 300 runs banaye, jinka average 50 aur strike rate 150.75 tha. Bhale hi unhone ek bhi half-century na banayi ho, lekin unki big-hitting ability ne sabka dhyan khincha. Hayden ne is baat par zor diya ki Stubbs ka tall frame aur powerful shots, jo ground ke dono taraf ja sakte hain, unhe ek khatarnak batsman banate hain. Unhone kaha, “He’s a very powerful unit. A very conventional hitter of the ball. Tall, big body position and great hands that he can hit down the ground. So he can be a threat.” Yeh baat unki batting style ko aur bhi khas banati hai, kyunki Test cricket mein aisa batsman jo spin aur pace dono ke khilaf dominate kar sake, hamesha game-changer hota hai.
South Africa ke liye yeh final ek golden opportunity hai. Temba Bavuma ki captaincy mein team ne 2023-25 WTC cycle mein top position hasil ki, 69.44 point percentage ke sath, jo unki consistency ko dikhata hai. Stubbs ke sath sath Ryan Rickelton jaise aur bhi naye players hain jo is mauke par chamak sakte hain. Former South Africa coach Mark Boucher ne bhi Stubbs aur Rickelton ko Australia ke khilaf key players bataya hai. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2019 World Cup mein Quinton de Kock ke us performance ki, jab unhone apne aggressive batting se South Africa ko kai matches mein sambhala tha. Agar Stubbs bhi aisa kuch kar sakein, toh South Africa ke liye yeh final yaadgar ban sakta hai.
Lekin yahan thodi si chinta bhi hai. Stubbs ka Test experience abhi kam hai, aur Lord’s jaisa bada stage unke liye naya hoga. Australia ke bowlers, jaise Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, aur Mitchell Starc, duniya ke sabse khatarnak bowlers mein se hain. Inke khilaf Stubbs ko apni technique aur temperament dono ko prove karna hoga. Yaad kijiye 2013-14 Ashes series, jab Australia ke bowlers ne England ke batsmen ko tabah kar diya tha, aur kai naye players pressure mein bikhar gaye the. Stubbs ke liye yeh final ek bada test hoga, aur agar woh isme fail hote hain, toh South Africa ka middle order thoda kamzor dikh sakta hai.
Toh, kya Stubbs sach mein Hayden ke bharose par khara utrenge? Unke paas talent hai, form hai, aur mauka bhi hai. Lekin Test cricket ka pressure alag hota hai, aur yeh dekhna hoga ki woh is bade stage par apne aap ko kaise sambhalte hain. South Africa ke fans ko ummeed hai ki Stubbs Pietersen jaisa he impact chhodenge, lekin cricket mein kuch bhi guarantee nahi hota.
