Australia batting great Steve Smith is expecting a tough examination from South Africa's impressive pace attack in this week's World Test Championship final at Lord's.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reigning champions Australia, who beat India in the WTC final in 2023, are favourites against the Proteas in the five-day match, which starts on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"South Africa have a particularly good bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada, his record speaks for itself. Marco Jansen -- they are a good side, they are here for a reason," Smith said on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rabada, 30, has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22 while Jansen, 25, has 73 wickets at 21.76 in his 17 matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But former Test captain Smith also expects conditions at Lord's to favour spin bowling later in the game, which could work to the advantage of Australia off-break bowler Nathan Lyon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I think spin will play a big part, particularly as the game wears on," Smith added. "We've only been here a week, but I think it's been pretty dry start to the season over here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"There hasn't there been too much rain, which is rare for England. It does look like quite a dry surface and I think the footmarks will definitely come into play as the game wears on."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- Lord's success -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Smith has a superb Test record at London's Lord's ground, with 525 runs in five matches, including a double century and a hundred, at an average of 58.33.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "I've had a bit of success here," said the 36-year-old. "It takes a bit of time getting used to the slope, one end thinking you are falling over, the other you feel a bit tall.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "It's a nice wicket to bat on but if there's a bit of cloud about and the balls swing around, it can get tricky."<\/p>\r\n\r\n Several members of the Australia squad have not played much first-class cricket in recent months but Smith was confident they would quickly find their rhythm.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "All the batters feel like they're in a good place, so now we're just excited to go out and play," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "Lord's is a place we traditionally played pretty good cricket, so we're excited about the prospect of coming up against South Africa."<\/p>\r\n\r\n England have repeatedly emphasised how their long-term planning is designed to created capable of winning an Ashes series for the first time in a decade when they tour Australia in 2025\/26.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But Smith said Australia were fully focused on the task in front of them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "The Ashes is a big series but you can't look too far ahead," said Smith, winner of the Compton-Miller Medal for player of the Ashes series in 2017\/18 and 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "You've got to keep playing each game as it comes. Every game is important with the World Test Championship on the line.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "That's the reason it came in: to make every Test more relevant."<\/p>\r\n\r\n Australia's last Test at Lord's, during the 2023 Ashes witnessed an extraordinary row in the Pavilion between a couple of players and Marylebone Cricket Club members, one of whom was expelled and two others suspended.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Asked about what sort of reception he is expecting from MCC members this week, Smith replied: "Unsure, and I'm actually not fussed either way."<\/p>\r\n\r\n His career was almost derailed by his involvement in a 2018 ball-tampering scandal against South Africa in Cape Town.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But he said relations between the two teams were now "pretty relaxed".<\/p>\r\n\r\n There have been suggestions the WTC final should be played over several games rather than being just a one-off match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n