Kagiso Rabada shines for Proteas on seesaw opening day of Test final
The SA team were restricted to 43/4 at the close of play, trailing Australia by 169 runs in their first innings.
Kagiso Rabada celebrates his fifth wicket on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's. Picture: Paul Harding/Gallo Images
South Africa found themselves against the ropes late on Wednesday, despite controlling the game for most of the opening day of the World Test Championship final against Australia in London.
With 14 wickets falling on day one, the global final got off to a spectacular start, with bowlers dominating for both teams.
Though they did well to take control in the early stages of the match, the Proteas crumbled in the final session, as they stumbled to 43/4 at the close of play, trailing the defending champions by 169 runs with six wickets in hand in their first innings.
Having bundled out the Baggy Greens for 212 runs in the final session, the SA team looked to be in the driving seat, but they lost their first four wickets for just 30 runs.
Ryan Rickelton, who made 16 runs, was the only member of the Proteas' top five who hit double figures, as they were left flailing in the chase for South Africa's first global Test title.
When stumps were drawn, captain Temba Bavuma was on three not out, after facing 37 balls as he tried to play out the day, and David Bedingham was unbeaten on eight.
Australia first innings
Earlier, Kagiso Rabada led the charge as the Proteas frontline attack ripped through Australia's line-up after the SA team won the toss and opted to field.
Rabada took 5/51 – his 17th career five-wicket haul – and his second at Lord's, after he achieved the feat against England in August 2022.
And he was well backed by Marco Jansen, who returned 3/49, as the Baggy Greens were bundled out 212 within 57 overs in their first innings.
After losing four wickets in the first session, Steve Smith and Beau Webster shared 79 runs for the fifth wicket before Smith was removed by Marco Jansen for 66 to break the stand.
Webster went on to contribute 72 runs, but Rabada and Jansen dismantled the lower order shortly after lunch, and it looked like Australia were in trouble before their bowling attack hit back.
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Daily Maverick
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Australia, 212 and 144 for 8 (Alex Carey 43, Lungi Ngidi 3-35, Kagiso Rabada 3-44), lead South Africa, 138 (David Bedingham 45, Temba Bavuma 36, Pat Cummins 6-28), by 218 runs. The World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's in England has been a match of expert bowling and batting collapses. The Proteas were skittled for 138 after lunch on day two, having gone into the afternoon break on 121 for five. Australia, in their second innings, went into tea on 28 for two before landing on 73 for seven 12 overs later as 14 wickets fell on the second day of play, the same as the first. Heading into the final session of day two, Australia would have felt completely in control of the match and positive of retaining their WTC crown. They were 102 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand and their two batters with the highest Test averages at the crease: Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. 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Kyle Verreynne (13 off 39) and Bedingham saw the team through to the first extended break of the day before chaos broke loose. Cummins went on to get rid of Verreynne and Jansen (nought off three) in one over, as well as Bedingham and Rabada to record six wickets for 28 runs in 18.1 overs. South Africa lost their final five wickets while adding only 12 runs. South Africa will look to get rid of Australia's final two wickets as quickly as possible tomorrow. Regardless, they will need to record the highest innings score of the match to claim victory and the WTC mace from Australia. DM
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Plays of the Day at Lord's as 14 wickets fall on day two of Proteas v Australia WTC final
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