Reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final was one of South Africa’s positives, showing their ability to compete in the top echelons of world cricket. However, winning it could mark the start of a whole new era, according to former national coach Mark Boucher as well.

“A lot of people have criticised South Africa, which is not really fair,” Boucher told ESPNcricinfo during the IPL. “You play what’s in front of you and with all due respect, the sides that we’ve played against, we probably should have beaten and we’ve done that. So we find ourselves in a final. But I wouldn’t say that it has got the crowds going in our country. Everyone’s very excited about it now as the opportunity arises, a lot of people are going to travel over to London, spend all their Rands and go watch what should be a good match. If we win it, I think then that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country.”

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“We’re playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can’t win] but I think it’s a different feel in Test match cricket,” he again said. “It’s played over a longer period of time and you’ve just got to win big moments in the game as well. Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving on these youngsters coming through? No, it’s almost like they’re carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them but they’re the ones in control of their futures at the moment.”

However, Mark Boucher also opined on two of South Africa’s younger batters, who have never played a Test at Lord’s or against Australia, as key to their chances in this all-important match as well.

“Ryan Rickelton has been playing nicely for Mumbai Indians (MI) and he was actually on the tour that we went to England [in 2022] as well,” Mark Boucher said. “He’s actually played quite a few games in England as well, so he’ll know the conditions. And Tristan Stubbs has come back and played a lot of domestic cricket and basically forced his way into the Test side because of the runs that he’s got. On paper, Australia will probably feel that they’ve got a better batting line-up than what we have, but have we got the attitude to go out there and in a one-off game, just leave it all out there? Absolutely.”