London, June 14 (UNI) Australia's hopes of defending their World Test Championship (WTC) crown ended in heartbreak at Lord's on Saturday, as skipper Pat Cummins summed up the defeat with a telling admission: "This was a bridge too far."
Outclassed by a resolute South African outfit that held their nerve in the final moments, Cummins’ men fell short by five wickets in a contest that never quite tilted decisively their way, despite early control. The result handed South Africa their first-ever WTC title and their first ICC men’s trophy in 27 years.
In a post-match reflection, Cummins acknowledged the margins and moments that slipped away from Australia despite a promising position in the game. "Things can change pretty quickly ... There's always a few things — we had a decent first innings lead and tried to bat them out, but it just did not happen."