Aussies stage huge comeback in World Test Championship final as Steve Smith surpasses Don Bradman - and South Africa make a shocking mistake
South Africa are ruing a costly non-review after Australia 's pace juggernaut hit back during a rollicking first day of the World Test Championship final at Lord's.
Kagsio Rabada (5-51) threw a mighty first punch, justifying Proteas captain Temba Bavuma's call to bowl first with his 17th five-wicket haul to help skittle Australia for 212.
But rank underdogs South Africa, aiming to break a 27-year title drought in ICC tournaments, were left reeling at 4-43 by stumps.
Their batters left the famous London venue in a daze on Wednesday evening (Thursday AEST) following a masterful final session of bowling from Australia's famed pace trio - Mitchell Starc (2-10), Pat Cummins (1-14), and Josh Hazlewood (1-10).
South Africa earlier used two unsuccessful reviews on allrounder Beau Webster - which were ruled as umpire's call - but failed to refer a third which would have had the towering Tasmanian trapped lbw for only eight.
No.6 Webster, in just his fourth Test, went on to top score for Australia with a career-best 72.
South Africa's Wiaan Mulder grimaces as he's hit for four by Beau Webster after his team made a huge error with a review on the Tasmanian all-rounder
Their eventual total could have been well below 200 had Webster departed early given Australia lost 5-20 to end their innings.
'(Squad member) Corbin Bosch came down to fine leg, and he says it was out,' Rabada recalled when he discovered the Proteas had blown an opportunity.
'I was like, 'oh man!'. It was a bit annoying.
'He (Webster) didn't start off too well out there.
'Looked like he was going to get out any ball, but I guess his positive intent got him through.'
Steve Smith (66) was still coughing after battling through flu to put on a crucial 79-run stand with Webster after Australia were limping at 4-67.
'It looked pretty good to me from the other end. I don't know what happened actually,' Smith said of South Africa not using a review.
'I know Beau was in a little bit of pain; I don't think it actually hit his pad, I think it just hit his leg.
'They had a chance to use a referral and didn't.'
Bavuma (three) will resume in the middle on Thursday with David Bedingham (eight).
Smith, who became the highest-scoring visiting batter in Tests at Lord's, was left fuming at himself for falling to part-time spinner Aiden Markram when in reach of a 37th century.
'I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that,' said Smith, putting his head into his hands.
It was all about the Rabada redemption story early in the day, running riot underneath overcast skies in London by taking two wickets in four balls.
Rabada, in his first Test since serving a one-month ban for testing positive to cocaine, removed Usman Khawaja (a 20-ball duck) and Cameron Green (four) in the seventh over.
In his first Test since March 2024, fit-again Green hit his first delivery to the boundary at fine leg in a promising start.
But the 26-year-old was gone just two balls later, edging a Rabada rocket to slips where he was superbly caught by Markram.
Marnus Labuschagne, in his first innings as a Test opener, started brightly to get through until drinks.
But as he often has during the last two years, the under-pressure Queenslander struggled to keep the score ticking over.
Labuschagne got caught between playing a shot and leaving a Marco Jansen delivery, nicking off for 17 from 56 balls.
The 30-year-old, who was once described as having 'opening-itis', won the battle to be Khawaja's fifth opening partner in 18 months over teenager Sam Konstas.
The spectre of Konstas, one of Australian cricket's rising stars, will now loom even larger for the upcoming three-Test tour of the West Indies.
Labuschagne's last Test century came back in July 2023 at Manchester.
Travis Head, who starred with a matchwinning 163 in Australia's WTC final triumph in 2023, was out on the final ball before lunch after wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne hung on to a screamer.
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