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The much-anticipated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and defending champions Australia commenced under overcast skies at Lord’s on Wednesday afternoon. South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to field, a decision that paid immediate dividends as his pacers made early inroads into the Australian batting lineup.
Kagiso Rabada set the tone in the opening half-hour by dismissing Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck. The seasoned Australian opener attempted to shuffle across and drive, but only managed a thick outside edge. The ball flew low to first slip, where David Bedingham made no mistake, pouching a clean catch to provide South Africa their first breakthrough.
Kagiso Rabada delivers big time for South Africa with two wickets in an over 🔥
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With that scalp, Rabada achieved a significant personal milestone, his 50th Test wicket against Australia. The Aussies now join England (66 wickets) and India (55 wickets) as the third nation against whom the fiery right-armer has claimed 50 or more dismissals. Given his current rhythm, Rabada could well surpass his tally against India by the end of this match.
Rabada didn’t take long to strike again. Just four deliveries later, Cameron Green became his second victim. The tall all-rounder could muster only four runs before edging a delivery that was expertly plucked out of the air by Aiden Markram at second slip. The catch was a spectacular low grab, highlighting Markram’s razor-sharp reflexes and strong hands.
Australia found themselves in early trouble, having lost three top-order batters within the opening hour. Their situation worsened when Marnus Labuschagne, after grinding out a 56-ball 17, was dismissed by Marco Jansen. The right-hander nicked one behind the stumps, handing wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne a straightforward catch and Jansen his first wicket of the match.
With the scoreboard reading a precarious 60 for 3, Steve Smith and Travis Head took charge at the crease, attempting to stabilise the innings. Smith, known for his composure under pressure, shoulders the responsibility of guiding his team through the storm, while Head will look to carry forward the aggressive template that has worked well for him in recent times.
Despite the absence of significant swing, the Lord’s surface has offered pronounced seam movement, which the South African seamers have used to their advantage. Rabada and Jansen have kept things tight, constantly testing the outside edge and extracting bounce and deviation off the deck, keeping Australia on the back foot in the opening session.
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