Lord’s, Day 1 — WTC Final
South Africa made the perfect start to their World Test Championship Final campaign, reducing Australia to 67 for 4 by lunch on the opening day at a gloomy, swing-friendly Lord’s. Temba Bavuma’s decision to bowl first under overcast skies paid immediate dividends, with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen leading a clinical pace attack that exposed Australia’s reshuffled top order.
Rabada struck twice in a fiery opening spell, removing Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck and then Cameron Green, who briefly flickered before falling for 4. Jansen, meanwhile, accounted for Marnus Labuschagne (17) and Travis Head (11), exploiting bounce and seam to keep the pressure relentless.
Only Steven Smith (26* off 51) showed composure, surviving a South African review just before lunch and holding Australia together amid the collapse.
Australia’s innings never found rhythm, their run rate stuck below 3, and the once-deep batting order now leaning heavily on Smith and debutant Beau Webster, still to come.
Bowling stats underline the dominance:
Rabada: 6-4-9-2
Jansen: 7.2-1-27-2
Ngidi and Mulder provided support, with Mulder’s economy of 1.00 keeping pressure from one end.
The session belonged entirely to South Africa, who now have the chance to push for a first-innings stranglehold. Australia, trailing at 67/4 after 23.2 overs, need a Smith special to claw back momentum.
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