UNDERDOGS AT LORD'S

... and the echoes back home

- GREYMUTTER: LANCE FREDERICKS

SO, HERE we are, the World Test Championship final got under way at Lord's, the home of cricket, on Wednesday.

Die-hard cricket fans will have one eye on work and another on the social media updates that will be coming through over the course of the next few days. Smoke breaks will be less about the nicotine nudge, and more directed to catching up with how the match is going, who's on top, how “our boys” — from whichever team you're supporting — are doing.

With history on the side of Australia — the two teams met at Lord's back in 1912, and the Aussies beat South Africa by 10 wickets — they, in a sense, start this week's final as defending champions and warm favourites.

Yet, I get the sense that the Proteas are not averse to embracing the underdog status.

THE FINAL - NO WALK IN THE PARK

South Africa know they have a mountain to climb, with their only previous title being the ICC Knockout in 1998.

It's also worth considering that they are battling against some bad energy, with pundits all over convinced that they have not earned their place in the final, claiming that they took the easy route to Lord's.

On top of that, the Proteas are facing a group of Baggy Greens who have been there and done it before. They are seasoned veterans in this kind of game, knowing what to expect and how to handle the pressure. The core of their team is competing for a fourth world title across three formats in four years. Now that is a settled team!

But there’s more: Australia head into the contest with a potent blend of firepower and form — their world-class bowling attack is widely regarded as one of the best in the game's history, while Steve Smith has rediscovered top form this year.

Add to that Travis Head, who has delivered consecutive match-winning centuries in his last two global finals, and one could seriously ask, who would bet against them?