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Shane Lowry is hoping Rory McIlroy’s career Grand Slam triumph will ignite his own quest for further major success at the 2025 US Open this week.

Lowry, who won the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, wants to draw motivation from his close friend’s resilience.

He is aiming to capture his second major title on a course where he nearly triumphed in 2016.

“I have never been more jealous, or more happy, of anyone in my whole life of watching what Rory did at the Masters,” Lowry told BBC Sport NI.

“I think it’s incredible, for everyone, for him, for Irish golf, for everyone around him. It just puts fire in my belly to kick on and be better than I have been.

Lowry and McIlroy played nine holes together on Wednesday morning to prepare for the start of the tournament on Thursday.

They have been paired together for the opening two rounds at Oakmont, along with fellow European Ryder Cup player, and former US Open Champion Justin Rose.

“We are also practicing with each other again tomorrow so we will be sick of the sight of each other by Friday!” joked Lowry.

“Hopefully we can both play well and give ourselves a run at the weekend. The last few times I have played with Rory I have played pretty good. I played the first two rounds of Bay Hill this year, I was well up there.

“I love playing with Rory, and with Justin we have a great group and everyone gets on well, but when you are out there there’s not too much chit-chat – it’s not much fun, but it will be nice with familiar faces.”

Lowry’s form this season has been impressive, finishing runner up twice on the PGA Tour and surging to a career best 10th place in the world rankings.

Currently ranked 12th, his US Open pedigree is also undeniable. At Oakmont in 2016, he surged to a four-shot lead entering the final round, only to stumble with a Sunday round of 76, finishing tied for second behind Dustin Johnson.

He also tied ninth at Chambers Bay in 2015, further underlining his ability to challenge on the US Open’s renowned gruelling set-ups.

Oakmont has tight fairways, penal rough, and lightning-fast greens which many believe make it the world’s toughest golf course and the ultimate US Open venue – but Lowry is buzzing with anticipation.

“It’s mentally going to be very difficult,” added Lowry.

“I think for me, on the eye, it’s less daunting than other courses we play. There’s not much trouble other than rough and the greens, there are not many hazards, you are not standing on many tee boxes with water hazards down the fairways or coming into greens.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy will play the opening two rounds of this week’s US Open alongside European Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Shane Lowry.

The trio will start round one from the 10th hole at 12:40 BST on Thursday, 12 June and then tackle the Oakmont Country Club course from hole one in Friday’s second round from 18:25.

McIlroy, who ended his major drought by beating Englishman Rose in a play-off to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National in April, won his solitary US Open in 2011. Rose claimed his only major title at the 2013 US Open.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is on the opposite side of the draw. He will tee off in Thursday’s opening round at 18:25 from the first hole, and 12:40 from the 10th on Friday.

The US PGA Championship winner is alongside fellow American Collin Morikawa and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

Starting from hole one (all times BST)

* denotes amateur

11:45 Trent Phillips (US), Kevin Velo (US), Matt Vogt* (US)

11:56 Chandler Blanchet (US), Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Doug Ghim (US)

12:07 Evan Beck* (US), Justin B. Hicks (US), Maxwell Moldovan (US)

12:18 Keegan Bradley (US), Harris English (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

12:29 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

12:40 Wyndham Clark (US), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)

12:51 Akshay Bhatia (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Matt McCarty (US)

13:02 Cameron Davis (Aus), Thomas Detry (Bel), Davis Thompson (US)

13:13 Richard Bland (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Trevor Gutschewski* (US)

13:24 Ryan Gerard (US), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Sam Stevens (US)

13:35 Noah Kent* (US), Thriston Lawrence (SA), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

13:46 Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn), Cameron Tankersley* (US), Chase Johnson (US)

13:57 Philip Barbaree (US), Brady Calkins (US), Riley Lewis (US)

17:30 Sam Bairstow (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Frederic Lacroix (Fra)

17:41 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Joe Highsmith (US), Ryan Fox (NZ)

17:52 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Victor Perez (Fra), Adam Schenk (US)

18:03 Brooks Koepka (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas (US)

18:14 Sam Burns (US), Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (US)

18:25 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

18:36 Corey Conners (Can), Jason Day (Aus), Patrick Reed (US)

18:47 Daniel Berger (US), Bud Cauley (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)

18:58 Tony Finau (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Chris Kirk (US)

19:09 Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Benjamin James* (US)

19:20 Laurie Canter (Eng), Justin Hastings* (Cay), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

(Den)

19:31 Roberto Diaz (Mex), Emilio Gonzalez (Mex), Frankie Harris* (US)

19:42 Joey Herrera (US), George Kneiser (US), Grant Haefner (US)

Starting from hole 10

11:45 Zachary Blair (US), Alistair Docherty (US), Scott Vincent (Zim)

11:56 Jacques Kruyswijk (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng), Eric Cole (US)

12:07 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Taylor Pendrith (Can), JJ Spaun (US)

12:18 Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Adam Scott (Aus)

12:29 Ben Griffin (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Andrew Novak (US)

12:40 Shane Lowry (Ire), Rory McIlroy (NI), Justin Rose (Eng)

12:51 Patrick Cantlay (US), Lucas Glover (US), Si-Woo Kim (Kor)

13:02 Brian Harman (US), Phil Mickelson (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)

13:13 Brian Campbell (US), Justin Lower (US), Niklas Norgaard (Den)

13:24 Johnny Keefer (US), Jackson Koivun* (US), Davis Riley (US)

13:35 James Hahn (US), Mark Hubbard (US), Michael La Sasso* (US)

13:46 Chris Gotterup (US), Mason Howell* (US), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

13:57 Zachary Bauchou (US), Jackson Buchanan (US), Lance Simpson* (US)

17:30 Will Chandler (US), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn)

17:41 Bryan Lee* (US), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Preston Summerhays (US)

17:52 Max Greyserman (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA), Matt Wallace (Eng)

18:03 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Russell Henley (US), Nick Taylor (Can)

18:14 Dustin Johnson (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US)

18:25 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sepp Straka (Aut)

18:36 Tom Hoge (US), JT Poston (US), Cameron Young (US)

18:47 Michael Kim (US), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)

18:58 Nick Dunlap (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Rai (Eng)

19:09 Matthew Jordan (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Yuta Sugiura (Jpn)

19:20 Trevor Cone (US), Ryan McCormick (US), Zachery Pollo* (US)

19:31 James Nicholas (US), Tyler Weaver* (Eng), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn)

19:42 George Duangmanee (US), Harrison Ott (US), Austen Truslow (US)

Starting from hole one (all times BST)

11:45 Will Chandler (US), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn)

11:56 Bryan Lee* (US), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Preston Summerhays (US)

12:07 Max Greyserman (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA), Matt Wallace (Eng)

12:18 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Russell Henley (US), Nick Taylor (Can)

12:29 Dustin Johnson (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US)

12:40 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sepp Straka (Aut)

12:51 Tom Hoge (US), JT Poston (US), Cameron Young (US)

13:02 Michael Kim (US), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)

13:13 Nick Dunlap (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Rai (Eng)

13:24 Matthew Jordan (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Yuta Sugiura (Jpn)

13:35 Trevor Cone (US), Ryan McCormick (US), Zachery Pollo* (US)

13:46 James Nicholas US), Tyler Weaver* (Eng), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn)

13:57 George Duangmanee (US), Harrison Ott (US), Austen Truslow (US)

17:30 Zachary Blair (US), Alistair Docherty (US), Scott Vincent (Zim)

17:41 Jacques Kruyswijk (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng), Eric Cole (US)

17:52 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Taylor Pendrith (Can), JJ Spaun (US)

18:03 Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Adam Scott (Aus)

18:14 Ben Griffin (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Andrew Novak (US)

18:25 Shane Lowry (Ire), Rory McIlroy (NI), Justin Rose (Eng)

18:36 Patrick Cantlay (US), Lucas Glover (US), Si-Woo Kim (Kor)

18:47 Brian Harman (US), Phil Mickelson (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)

18:58 Brian Campbell (US), Justin Lower (US), Niklas Norgaard (Den)

19:09 Johnny Keefer (US), Jackson Koivun* (US), Davis Riley (US)

19:20 James Hahn (US), Mark Hubbard (US), Michael La Sasso* (US)

19:31 Chris Gotterup (US), Mason Howell* (US), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

19:42 Zachary Bauchou (US), Jackson Buchanan (US), Lance Simpson* (US)

Starting from hole 10

11:45 Sam Bairstow (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Frederic Lacroix (Fra)

11:56 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Joe Highsmith (US), Ryan Fox (NZ)

12:07 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Victor Perez (Fra), Adam Schenk (US)

12:18 Brooks Koepka (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas (US)

12:29 Sam Burns (US), Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (US)

12:40 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

12:51 Corey Conners (Can), Jason Day (Aus), Patrick Reed (US)

13:02 Daniel Berger (US), Bud Cauley (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)

13:13 Tony Finau (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Chris Kirk (US)

13:24 Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Benjamin James* (US)

13:35 Laurie Canter (Eng), Justin Hastings* (Cay), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

(Den)

13:46 Roberto Diaz (Mex), Emilio Gonzalez (Mex), Frankie Harris* (US)

13:57 Joey Herrera (US), George Kneiser (US), Grant Haefner (US)

17:30 Trent Phillips (US), Kevin Velo (US), Matt Vogt* (US)

17:41 Chandler Blanchet (US), Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Doug Ghim (US)

17:52 Evan Beck* (US), Justin B. Hicks (US), Maxwell Moldovan (US)

18:03 Keegan Bradley (US), Harris English (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

18:14 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

18:25 Wyndham Clark (US), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)

18:36 Akshay Bhatia (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Matt McCarty (US)

18:47 Cameron Davis (Aus), Thomas Detry (Bel), Davis Thompson (US)

18:58 Richard Bland (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Trevor Gutschewski* (US)

19:09 Ryan Gerard (US), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Sam Stevens (US)

19:20 Noah Kent* (US), Thriston Lawrence (SA), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

19:31 Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn), Cameron Tankersley* (US), Chase Johnson (US)

Masters champion Rory McIlroy will play the opening two rounds of this week’s US Open alongside European Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Shane Lowry.

The trio will start round one from the 10th hole at 12:40 BST on Thursday, 12 June and then tackle the Oakmont Country Club course from hole one in Friday’s second round from 18:25.

McIlroy, who ended his major drought by beating Englishman Rose in a play-off to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National in April, won his solitary US Open in 2011. Rose claimed his only major title at the 2013 US Open.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is on the opposite side of the draw. He will tee off in Thursday’s opening round at 18:25 from the first hole, and 12:40 from the 10th on Friday.

The US PGA Championship winner is alongside fellow American Collin Morikawa and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

Starting from hole one (all times BST)

* denotes amateur

11:45 Trent Phillips (US), Kevin Velo (US), Matt Vogt* (US)

11:56 Chandler Blanchet (US), Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Doug Ghim (US)

12:07 Evan Beck* (US), Justin B. Hicks (US), Maxwell Moldovan (US)

12:18 Keegan Bradley (US), Harris English (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

12:29 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

12:40 Wyndham Clark (US), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)

12:51 Akshay Bhatia (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Matt McCarty (US)

13:02 Cameron Davis (Aus), Thomas Detry (Bel), Davis Thompson (US)

13:13 Richard Bland (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Trevor Gutschewski* (US)

13:24 Ryan Gerard (US), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Sam Stevens (US)

13:35 Noah Kent* (US), Thriston Lawrence (SA), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

13:46 Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn), Cameron Tankersley* (US), Chase Johnson (US)

13:57 Philip Barbaree (US), Brady Calkins (US), Riley Lewis (US)

17:30 Sam Bairstow (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Frederic Lacroix (Fra)

17:41 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Joe Highsmith (US), Ryan Fox (NZ)

17:52 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Victor Perez (Fra), Adam Schenk (US)

18:03 Brooks Koepka (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas (US)

18:14 Sam Burns (US), Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (US)

18:25 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

18:36 Corey Conners (Can), Jason Day (Aus), Patrick Reed (US)

18:47 Daniel Berger (US), Bud Cauley (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)

18:58 Tony Finau (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Chris Kirk (US)

19:09 Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Benjamin James* (US)

19:20 Laurie Canter (Eng), Justin Hastings* (Cay), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

(Den)

19:31 Roberto Diaz (Mex), Emilio Gonzalez (Mex), Frankie Harris* (US)

19:42 Joey Herrera (US), George Kneiser (US), Grant Haefner (US)

Starting from hole 10

11:45 Zachary Blair (US), Alistair Docherty (US), Scott Vincent (Zim)

11:56 Jacques Kruyswijk (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng), Eric Cole (US)

12:07 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Taylor Pendrith (Can), JJ Spaun (US)

12:18 Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Adam Scott (Aus)

12:29 Ben Griffin (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Andrew Novak (US)

12:40 Shane Lowry (Ire), Rory McIlroy (NI), Justin Rose (Eng)

12:51 Patrick Cantlay (US), Lucas Glover (US), Si-Woo Kim (Kor)

13:02 Brian Harman (US), Phil Mickelson (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)

13:13 Brian Campbell (US), Justin Lower (US), Niklas Norgaard (Den)

13:24 Johnny Keefer (US), Jackson Koivun* (US), Davis Riley (US)

13:35 James Hahn (US), Mark Hubbard (US), Michael La Sasso* (US)

13:46 Chris Gotterup (US), Mason Howell* (US), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

13:57 Zachary Bauchou (US), Jackson Buchanan (US), Lance Simpson* (US)

17:30 Will Chandler (US), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn)

17:41 Bryan Lee* (US), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Preston Summerhays (US)

17:52 Max Greyserman (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA), Matt Wallace (Eng)

18:03 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Russell Henley (US), Nick Taylor (Can)

18:14 Dustin Johnson (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US)

18:25 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sepp Straka (Aut)

18:36 Tom Hoge (US), JT Poston (US), Cameron Young (US)

18:47 Michael Kim (US), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)

18:58 Nick Dunlap (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Rai (Eng)

19:09 Matthew Jordan (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Yuta Sugiura (Jpn)

19:20 Trevor Cone (US), Ryan McCormick (US), Zachery Pollo* (US)

19:31 James Nicholas (US), Tyler Weaver* (Eng), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn)

Starting from hole one (all times BST)

11:45 Will Chandler (US), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn)

11:56 Bryan Lee* (US), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Preston Summerhays (US)

12:07 Max Greyserman (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA), Matt Wallace (Eng)

12:18 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Russell Henley (US), Nick Taylor (Can)

12:29 Dustin Johnson (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US)

12:40 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sepp Straka (Aut)

12:51 Tom Hoge (US), JT Poston (US), Cameron Young (US)

13:02 Michael Kim (US), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)

13:13 Nick Dunlap (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Rai (Eng)

13:24 Matthew Jordan (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Yuta Sugiura (Jpn)

13:35 Trevor Cone (US), Ryan McCormick (US), Zachery Pollo* (US)

13:46 James Nicholas US), Tyler Weaver* (Eng), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn)

13:57 George Duangmanee (US), Harrison Ott (US), Austen Truslow (US)

17:30 Zachary Blair (US), Alistair Docherty (US), Scott Vincent (Zim)

17:41 Jacques Kruyswijk (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng), Eric Cole (US)

17:52 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Taylor Pendrith (Can), JJ Spaun (US)

18:03 Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Adam Scott (Aus)

18:14 Ben Griffin (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Andrew Novak (US)

18:25 Shane Lowry (Ire), Rory McIlroy (NI), Justin Rose (Eng)

18:36 Patrick Cantlay (US), Lucas Glover (US), Si-Woo Kim (Kor)

18:47 Brian Harman (US), Phil Mickelson (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)

18:58 Brian Campbell (US), Justin Lower (US), Niklas Norgaard (Den)

19:09 Johnny Keefer (US), Jackson Koivun* (US), Davis Riley (US)

19:20 James Hahn (US), Mark Hubbard (US), Michael La Sasso* (US)

19:31 Chris Gotterup (US), Mason Howell* (US), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

19:42 Zachary Bauchou (US), Jackson Buchanan (US), Lance Simpson* (US)

Starting from hole 10

11:45 Sam Bairstow (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Frederic Lacroix (Fra)

11:56 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Joe Highsmith (US), Ryan Fox (NZ)

12:07 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Victor Perez (Fra), Adam Schenk (US)

12:18 Brooks Koepka (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas (US)

12:29 Sam Burns (US), Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (US)

12:40 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

12:51 Corey Conners (Can), Jason Day (Aus), Patrick Reed (US)

13:02 Daniel Berger (US), Bud Cauley (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)

13:13 Tony Finau (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Chris Kirk (US)

13:24 Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Benjamin James* (US)

13:35 Laurie Canter (Eng), Justin Hastings* (Cay), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

(Den)

13:46 Roberto Diaz (Mex), Emilio Gonzalez (Mex), Frankie Harris* (US)

13:57 Joey Herrera (US), George Kneiser (US), Grant Haefner (US)

17:30 Trent Phillips (US), Kevin Velo (US), Matt Vogt* (US)

17:41 Chandler Blanchet (US), Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Doug Ghim (US)

17:52 Evan Beck* (US), Justin B. Hicks (US), Maxwell Moldovan (US)

18:03 Keegan Bradley (US), Harris English (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

18:14 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

18:25 Wyndham Clark (US), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)

18:36 Akshay Bhatia (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Matt McCarty (US)

18:47 Cameron Davis (Aus), Thomas Detry (Bel), Davis Thompson (US)

18:58 Richard Bland (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Trevor Gutschewski* (US)

19:09 Ryan Gerard (US), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Sam Stevens (US)

19:20 Noah Kent* (US), Thriston Lawrence (SA), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

19:31 Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn), Cameron Tankersley* (US), Chase Johnson (US)

World Test Championship final: South Africa v Australia

Venue: Lord’s Dates: 11-15 June Time: 10:30 BST

Marnus Labuschagne will open the batting for Australia in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday.

Labuschagne has never opened in Test cricket and moves up from number three, which will be occupied by the returning Cameron Green.

In moving to the top of the order, Labuschagne becomes Usman Khawaja’s fifth different opening partner since David Warner retired at the beginning of 2024.

All-rounder Beau Webster keeps his place at number six and Josh Hazlewood gets the nod over fellow pace bowler Scott Boland.

Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

Australia are looking to defend the title the won by beating India in the final at The Oval two years ago.

The rotating cast of openers used since Warner called time on his Test career has included Steve Smith, Nathan McSweeney, Travis Head and Sam Konstas.

While Smith and Head are back in their usual middle-order slots, 19-year-old Konstas has been overlooked, as has Leeds-born Josh Inglis, who made a century on debut against Sri Lanka in February.

All-rounder Green has been out with a back injury and returns as a specialist batter. His presence creates a logjam in the middle-order, meaning Labuschagne is asked to move up.

The 31-year-old has been in indifferent form, having not made a Test hundred since the fourth Ashes Test of 2023.

With competition for places high, he is fighting to retain his spot for the Ashes series in Australia later this year. After the final, Australia head to the Caribbean for three Tests against West Indies.

Labuschagne has previously opened on 15 occasions in first-class cricket, but not since 2016.

“With Marnus moving, we thought it’s one spot up really. It’s not too different to batting three,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins. “Marnus has experience, he has done well here at Lord’s and in England in general.”

The bowling picture was made clear once Hazlewood, who has struggled with injuries in the recent past, proved his fitness.

The 34-year-old missed the final two years ago, but arrives in London after being part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team that won the Indian Premier League.

South Africa are aiming to finally to get their hands on a senior global title after a string of near-misses.

Most recently the Proteas were beaten in the final of the men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, when the game against India was in their grasp.

Their route to the final, and therefore the format of the Championship itself, has been questioned. South Africa finished top of the table having played 12 Tests, compared to the 19 of Australia and India, and 22 of England.

Nevertheless, Temba Bavuma’s men have the opportunity to become only the third team crowned Test champions, after Australia and inaugural winners New Zealand.

They have retained all-rounder Wiann Mulder at number three, with his option to bowl seam influencing the decision to select Ngidi over Paterson.

“It’s probably one of the tougher decisions that has been made,” said captain Bavuma. “But it was more from a tactical point of view. There’s probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, he’s a bit taller as well.

Premiership Rugby Grand Final – Leicester v Bath

Michael Cheika nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders as he freely accepted Bath go into Saturday’s Premiership Grand Final as overwhelming favourites against his Leicester Tigers side.

But it is not as if the Leicester head coach or his Tigers players will care.

“I know we will be doubted and probably for good reason from the results and the table,” the 58-year-old Australian told BBC Radio Leicester.

“The important thing is that from inside the team and the group of people we have around, that we don’t doubt and that we have belief.”

Tigers finished second in the table, 11 points adrift of a Bath side looking to complete a trophy treble, having already claimed the European Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup this season.

Bath were the first side to inflict a Premiership defeat on Tigers during Cheika’s one-season reign, when they edged past the East Midlands club at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in September.

Bath’s head of rugby Johann van Graan has previously said the Somerset club are “comfortable with being favourites”.

Equally, Cheika says the role Leicester have been cast in and the widely predicted script suits his side.

“I can understand the predictions and why they make them, whether they are done from data or delivered by experts,” the Tigers boss said.

“Come Saturday, we are going to be playing against a team that will be well fancied, who have dominated the season so far.

“We have strong self-belief internally and that will be something that will be really important. That is something we have built up over the season.

“But this is a good opportunity for us to use that belief in ourselves, because what that gives you is a hand in knowing what you will have to do.

“You will see in your mind when you close your eyes, what do I have to do in this game to get to where I want to go? It’s not actually the end, where you have got the prize, but seeing what you need to do in order to get it.”

The weeks leading up to Tigers’ attempt to secure a record-extending 12th Premiership title have been dominated by the impending mass exodus of star figures.

Living Leicester legends Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, as well as decorated former England team-mate Mike Brown, will retire at full-time on Saturday.

Cheika’s one-year stint at the helm will end too, in what is also a farewell match for captain Julian Montoya and two-time World Cup-winning South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard.

While the head coach is flying his wife and children over for the Twickenham decider, and playfully grimaces at the cost of doing so, he insists romanticising about leaving Leicester with the Premiership trophy in hand will not help their cause this week.

“We want to win for everyone,” Cheika said.

“That title is no more important to them [the departing players] than it is for the other guys, or the guys that don’t play, or the support team, or the crowd.

“It’s a club, mate, and we are all part of the club.

“Being the first of a lot of things comes with misunderstanding at times, and criticism,” says Temba Bavuma, in a gentle tone.

South Africa’s first black African captain is preparing to take on Australia in this week’s ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.

While the Proteas achieved number one in the world Test rankings in 2012, beating the defending champions in a showpiece final would be the country’s most significant cricketing achievement.

Few people tip South Africa to win, but 35-year-old Bavuma is used to dealing with adversity.

He is acutely aware of his own significance as South Africa’s first black African batter and first black African to score a Test century as well as the country’s first black African captain.

All this during South Africa’s post-apartheid era of transformation, where selection policies across domestic and international cricket have been influenced by racial quotas.

More than a decade on from his Test debut in 2014, it would be easy to understand if Bavuma is tired of talking about race. But he leans forward and speaks calmly and evenly about experiences that continue to shape him.

“The mere fact I was the first black African brought a different narrative and connotation to it,” explains Bavuma.

“It can come with criticism. Sometimes unwarranted criticism. I haven’t been short of that.

After a lean couple of years at the start of his Test career, his maiden century was expected to put such notions to bed.

It was wildly celebrated, no more so than in Bavuma’s home township of Langa in Cape Town.

A match report from January 2016, when he made an unbeaten hundred against England at Newlands said: “Temba Bavuma: Depicted as a quota cricketer no longer.” It wasn’t as simple as that though.

“When I scored the hundred, it didn’t really dispel that,” adds Bavuma, without a hint of self-pity or bitterness.

“It’s not nice when you have to deal with it. But the longer you survive within international cricket, within the Proteas, you grow a thick skin.”

Bavuma speaks thoughtfully about the attention associated with being ‘a first’.

“The expectation and pressure that comes with being a black African cricketer within that system, within the team, there’s a lot of opportunity and privilege that comes with that,” he says.

“I learned quite quickly it wasn’t just about me having a passion for the game and working hard. It meant a lot more.

“It was quite difficult to embrace the baggage, the pressure, the expectation and the criticism as well. But in my older years I’ve found it mentally easier to deal with.

Bavuma was appointed Test captain by head coach Shukri Conrad, who took over in January 2023. Conrad began his playing career when South Africa was under apartheid rule and cricket was racially segregated.

“When he told me I’d be Test captain, my first question was, ‘Why?’ – because I’d felt it was this honour and privilege that you just had to accept,” says Bavuma.

“When he unequivocally said, ‘You’re the best player in the team and you’re the best person to lead it,’ that gave me a lot of confidence and comfort to step into those shoes.”

Trust and empathy are two qualities Bavuma emphasises when describing his relationship with Conrad.

After a Test series thrashing by Australia in 2022-23, Conrad, 58, took the time to sit with Bavuma and allowed him to open up.

“He asked really direct questions, more pertaining to the actual person, how I was, apart from the cricketer,” enthuses Bavuma.

“He really helped me get to a space where I could just enjoy cricket. That was a tough period in my career when you never really felt you could speak to anyone in and around the system.

“He can resonate with a lot of the struggles and experiences I faced as a cricketer. A lot of trust, through the vulnerability he allowed me to show, was built from that.”

And what of Bavuma’s own leadership style?

“As a captain, there’ll always be the essence of putting the team first, but I try to make sure my game is in order then try to empower the guys around me,” he says.

“It becomes a collective leadership style, freeing up the guys to be themselves and play their best cricket. That’s allowed this Test team to get to this point.

“It will definitely be a highlight in my career, just being there in the final at Lord’s against Australia.”

Bavuma advocates for blood cancer awareness and stem cell research, trying to encourage people to register as donors. He was humbled recently to meet a 14-year-old boy who faces challenges far greater than those on the cricket field.

Iminathi was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia and is struggling to find a stem cell donor. Non-white patients in South Africa often face difficulties in finding a match because of underrepresentation in donor registries.

“He’s dealing with blood cancer,” says Bavuma, matter-of-factly. “For sportspeople, winning and losing is everything. But here’s a boy battling every day to keep going and he still sees joy within his life.

“It strengthens the perspective on what’s really important.”

Through his advocacy, Bavuma discovered his own grandmother died of leukaemia, but his mother and uncle never talked about it.

“It was something they brushed under the carpet,” he adds.

“Me putting my voice behind it made it easier for them to deal with those scars.

“They also gave me insight into the misconceptions that exist, at least within my black culture, where people are not well informed about things like blood cancer. We always blame it on cultural or spiritual aspects.

South Africa have faced scrutiny during their run to the final.

The Proteas won eight of their 12 Tests in this cycle, while Australia won 13 of 19.

Only Bangladesh played as few matches as South Africa, leading to criticism by former England captain Michael Vaughan that the Proteas had qualified on “on the back of beating pretty much nobody”.

South Africa’s pathway included series wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka at home, West Indies and Bangladesh away, a home draw with India, and a defeat in New Zealand. “Not nobodies,” as coach Conrad strongly pointed out.

Yet South Africa have no home men’s Tests scheduled for 2025-26. Bavuma would like to play more.

“Yes please!” he pleads exaggeratedly, before the question is barely finished.

“We’ve got to keep playing good cricket. That’s the only way we’ll make it attractive for other bigger nations to want to play us.