The difference? Lungi Ngidi just needed a change of ends

TimesLIVE

21 hours ago

At the end of the first day, when asked what advice he might give to Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada mentioned, steak, milkshake, a movie and a good night's sleep.
Ngidi wouldn't confirm if he followed any of his good pal's counsel — besides the sleep obviously. But as it turned out, all he needed was to change ends.
His two four-over spells in Australia's first innings on Wednesday's day one of the World Test Championship final at Lord's were dreadful. Ngidi couldn't find the right length and as a result, he also battled to locate the right lines to bowl.
He conceded seven boundaries, the majority of them because he either over-pitched or bowled too wide of off stump. 'I was just struggling with a bit of rhythm from (the Pavilion End). I swapped ends and I felt a lot better,' he told the BBC.
At the Pavilion End, where the infamous Lord's slope runs from Ngidi's left as he bowled, it would have felt like he was falling away from the stumps. For visiting bowlers it can always be a challenge here no matter how many overs are done at training.
The @ProteasMenCSA 's shining star of the day shares his post-match thoughts 🎙️🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/hms2QU4sK7
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025
For a bowler with Ngidi's height and physique, it can be extremely difficult and that was certainly the case on the first day where his economy rate of 5.7 stood out among all the bowlers — from both teams. No-one else conceded more than 3.5 runs an over.
There were understandable groans when he was handed the ball after tea, with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne on strike in Australia's second innings on Thursday. The feeling from a number of ex-players commentating on the World Test Championship final was Rabada, who had kept the Proteas in touch before the interval by taking two wickets, should have continued to bowl, particularly before Smith, had settled.
But the South African brains trust chose to show faith in Ngidi, whose height and pace were given as reasons for his selection ahead of Dane Paterson for this match. 'It doesn't make a difference to me, opinions or whatever it is,' he said.
While he may not have read or heard the criticism after his performance in the first innings, he'd have known he wasn't up to standards, the team has set, but most importantly that he has for himself.
'Obviously, it's been a very long time since I've played Test cricket — about nine months, 10 months, something like that. And that's with me. I obviously know why I was selected.'
The best of Lungi Ngidi in isiXhosa 😏🎙️🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/jAjXVWpAGv
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025
It was August last year in Trinidad that Ngidi last played a Test match. He bowled 16.5 overs, and took one wicket in that match. He was dropped for the second Test of that series against West Indies and with injuries and then having to complete a strength and conditioning block, Ngidi missed the six Tests South Africa played and won to qualify for the Lord's showpiece.
Offered an opportunity for redemption, and with that change of ends, Ngidi ripped South Africa back into a contest that Australian had taken firm control of.
'Obviously it was very disappointing not to get up to their [first innings total]. But credit where its due, they bowled very well. They put us under pressure and unfortunately we were that far [74 runs] behind,' Ngidi said.
'But once we started bowling, we realised that there was still enough in the wicket to bring that margin down. I was really looking to just finding a bit of rhythm.'
That Ngidi certainly did, bowling a nine-over spell that took him through the first hour of the final session and beyond the drinks break.
𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎 | 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐒
Lungi Ngidi is the star of the show at Lord's as the @ProteasMenCSA build momentum 😤🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/B3Xzkze3Yd
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025
'Lungi struggled in the first innings, but he is a chilled guy. I don't think he was too affected by it,' said his teammate David Bedingham. 'To bowl nine overs on the bounce, takes a massive amount of effort. We are lucky to have him.'
The wicket of Smith was the confidence booster Ngidi needed and instilled belief in his teammates at a time it may have been flagging. Their reaction once television replays came up with three red blocks, confirming Smith was out lbw, set the spark for what turned into a thrilling couple of hours of play.
'Once you get a moment like that, you don't want to really let it go because it could change the game. So I just kept going until my legs pretty much told me that's enough now,' Ngidi said.
He described Smith's and Beau Webster's wickets as personal highlights. 'They got the better of me in the first innings.'
'But once I got a bit of rhythm and the ball was moving around a bit, I felt very confident again.'
And at the end of the second day, so do his teammates.
Australia, on 144-8, led by 2018 runs after South Africa had been out for a miserable 138 in their first innings earlier. South Africa have two wickets to get, and won't want Australia's advantage to reach 250.
Pat Cummins, who also produced a mesmerising spell earlier in the day to his side in the ascendancy, said such a target would allow him to attack when South Africa batted.
'If you told me this was a position we'd be in at the end of the day, I definitely would have taken it,' Ngidi said.
Excitement and confidence are high in the Proteas camp, Bedingham confirmed. 'It's an amazing chance, we are very, very excited by the opportunity to win. It could go either way, but we are very excited.'
Ngidi's impact, so profound, so thrilling, created that chance. His redemption act has given them all hope.