WTC final: Australia fight back after Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket haul at Lord's
Australia showed why they are the most dominant side in world cricket across formats as they stormed back into the World Test Championship final against South Africa after getting dismissed for just 212 at Lord's.
Asked to bat first in overcast conditions, Australia seemed to have the game under control when Steve Smith (66) and all-rounder Beau Webster (72) were batting together.
The defending champions were nearing the 200-run mark with five wickets in hand before fast bowler Kagiso Rabada cut through the lower order, finishing with five wickets.
Australia's fast bowlers then turned up the heat in the final session. Even with the sun out, left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (2-10) got enough help of the surface and sliced through the top order, castling Aiden Markram in the first over itself.
Starc had the dangerous Ryan Rickelton caught at slip driving, while Josh Hazlewood (1-10) and captain Pat Cummins (1-14) accounted for Tristian Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder in a devastating new-ball spell, leaving the Proteas tottering at 43-4, still trailing by 169 runs.
It was a far cry from earlier in the day when South Africa decided to bowl first and thoroughly tested Australia's top order.
The Aussies had a clear advantage in the batting department, with the experienced Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head all part of the victorious 2023 WTC final side.
However, the Aussies ran into an in-form Rabada who made excellent use of the conditions to warp up the innings that was at one stage sailing along smoothly at 192-5.
Rabada finished with impressive figures of 5-51 in 15.4 overs, the second time he has taken five wickets at the iconic venue.
The right-arm pacer struck twice in a single over as he reduced Australia to 16-2, dismissing Khawaja and Cameron Green, surprisingly played at number three on his return to fitness.
Rabada, himself returning from a one-month ban after a failed drugs test, took two wickets in four balls in the seventh over thanks to sharp catches in the slips.
Khawaja was the first to go off after lasting 20 balls without scoring and then Green after facing only three balls.
Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen snagged the other wickets with two good catches behind by wicket keeper Kyle Verreynne, removing Marnus Labuschagne for 17 runs and dangerous Head for 11.
Rabada then returned to clean up the lower order, rattling the stumps of Australia captain Cummins and top-scorer Webster (72) before bowling Starc to end the innings.
Australia lost their last five wickets for just 20 runs, ruining the efforts of Smith and Webster who shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 79.
Smith was playing for the first time since March and showed no signs of being rusty in a busy innings, continuing his form at Lord's where he had previously scored a double century.
But he will be disappointed with the manner of his dismissal, attempting to slog part-time spinner Markram and getting a healthy edge to Jansen at slip with the tall bowler juggling the ball twice before holding the catch. He fell for a well-made 66.
Webster, meanwhile, completed his second fifty in Test cricket before he was caught at slip off Rabada to end a 92-ball innings that included 11 fours.
Australia are chasing their 11th world title in London while South Africa are looking for their first.
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