WTC Final: Pacers Lord over batters

New Indian Express

a day ago

Caught first slip. Caught second slip. Caught keeper. Caught keeper. Caught first slip. Bowled. Bowled. Caught first slip. Bowled. Bowled. Bowled. Caught first slip. Bowled. Bowled.
There was a very clear trend behind all 14 wickets to fall on Day One of the final of the World Test Championships between South Africa and Australia. After the former invited the latter to bat in overcast conditions, they either induced the outside edge or found the stumps.
When it was time for the holders to bowl in the third session, they returned the favour in kind. It was just that kind of day, and surface, at Lord's. The bowlers knew there was juice to be extracted as it was nibbling both ways. The wobble seam — an increasingly important weapon in a seamer's arsenal when bowling in these parts — again played a big role.
The end result? This generation's generational red-ball operators — Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins — all left their footprint in the longest format's showpiece event of the last two years. The awesome foursome scalped nine wickets for just 85 runs across 36 bewitching overs.
But South Africa, seeking their first men's ICC title this century, were in the mire when stumps were drawn on Wednesday. The Proteas were 43/4, trailing Australia by 169 runs.
The holders may have left a few runs with the bat but their bowlers were on the money right from the off. In England, it's all about making that adjustment to hit that same top of off mark and they made that adjustment that bit sooner. They were also more disciplined in their length as they kept the most common mode of dismissals — nicked behind to the keeper or cordon or bowled or lbw — in play throughout the third session.
In the absence of freebies, bowlers were given extended runs to the same batters. Here are a few samples. Wiaan Mulder's three came off 37 deliveries. Temba Bavuma played out five overs before opening his account.
The only time Australia erred in line, it came two balls before stumps when a tired Cummins went in search of two magic balls in succession. David Bedingham put both of those balls away. But the Proteas need more of those if they want to realise their dream of global glory.
Two hours into Wednesday, though, they would have been excused for doing just that at lunch.
There were several strange similarities to the last World Test Championship final after the first 30 overs on Wednesday. South Africa, just like India did at The Oval two Junes ago, opted to bowl first in overcast conditions. Just like India, they had picked up early wickets. Just like India, the Proteas were the happier of the two dressing rooms at lunch.
Team winning the toss bowling first under overcast skies. Australia finding it tough before Usman Khawaja leaving without scoring after a torturous existence. Marnus Labuschagne gamely fighting before leaving after a torturous existence. An explosive left-hander nicking one down the leg-side to the keeper. Australia going nowhere at lunch.
In 2023, though, Australia kept going from strength to strength as the Indian bowlers were defanged by a combination of Travis Head's bravura batting and Steve Smith's solidity. But the South African bowling unit, taller, a few clicks pacier and also comprising a left-arm seamer, stuck to their guns in a manner the Indian attack didn't.
Both units strayed and lacked discipline at times in the two sessions after lunch — Australia scoring a bulk of their runs in boundaries against both attacks was proof of this — but Rabada, Jansen and the others were able to extract more bounce off the surface and married it with optimum seam off the surface in a way the Indian bowlers couldn't.
The end result? After being inserted in, Australia stumbled staggered to 210 from a seemingly commanding 142/4 after 41.5 overs. How South Africa bagged all 10 wickets was indicative of the help they had on the surface.
However, at the end of an ultimately sun-kissed Day One, Cummins & Co will know they have taken the initiative to retain the mace.
Brief scores: Australia 212 in 56.4 ovs (Webster 72, Smith 66; Rabada 5/51, Jansen 3/49) vs South Africa 43/4 in 22 ovs (Rickelton 16; Starc 2/10).