Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has pondered on the team’s journey and what it means for him and the team to have another chance at the Test Mace at Lord’s, where they will meet Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the final.

Starc believes that the WTC final is the ideal opportunity for his team to win consecutive titles, having defeated India in the summit battle of the 2021-23 cycle after missing qualification in the initial cycle.

“This is an opportunity to go back-to-back. Although the World Test Championship is still a relatively young format, it has been an important experience for us.

We missed the final in the first cycle and were lucky to win it the second time,” Mitchell Starc told Star Sports.

The bowler also emphasised the depth of the current squad, stating that the team’s core has remained intact since the tragic victory against India at the Oval.

“Now, with a core group of players from the 2023 final remaining intact, having this opportunity again — and at Lord’s — is quite remarkable. Winning the Mace for the second time would be a significant reward for what this crew has accomplished over the years,” he added.

Starc also detailed Australia’s preparation for South Africa’s blend of experienced and lesser-known batsmen, with a particular emphasis on their own game plan:

“Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma have played a significant amount of Test cricket. We didn’t see Aiden in the previous series in Australia, so we’ve talked a bit about him; he’s clearly a vital component of South Africa’s batting lineup.

“There are also some less-experienced players who have had some Test experience, but a few of them we have not yet faced in this format.” So, over the following three days, we’ll talk about what we can learn, what we see, and how they play the game. But, for the time being, our planning is centred on what we want to accomplish,” he continued.