Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc rescue Australia after staggering collapse on day two of WTC final
Australia has arrived at a pre-Ashes crossroads after a staggering capitulation at Lord’s, but a World Test Championship victory remains achievable thanks to a clutch partnership. WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS
Australia has arrived at a pre-Ashes crossroads following a staggering capitulation at Lord’s, however a World Test Championship victory still remains achievable thanks to a clutch partnership from Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc.
On a truly extraordinary day of Test cricket, Pat Cummins blazed through South Africa with six wickets to enter the 300-wicket club, before Australia’s top order squandered the advantage with an alarming collapse which has left Marnus Labuschagne facing the axe and uncertainty over other positions as well.
But despite all that, Australia could yet defend their WTC Title on the strength of their bowling with South Africa faced with the challenge of chasing the highest total of the game – and much more than they managed in their first innings to break their World Cup hoodoo.
Fourteen wickets fell to match the fourteen that fell on day one in an inexplicable exhibition of batting from both sides and Australia lead by 218 runs with two wickets in hand as Cummins lamented Australia’s inability to arrive at a better position with the game hanging on a knife’s edge and an epic finish beckoning.
“Ideally we’d probably have a few more wickets in the shed. But I think the trend of the game is the runs are coming down,” Cummins said, while also declining to discuss Labuschagne’s place in the team until the match is settled.
“It’s still pretty difficult out there. I think it’s set up pretty well for a day three finish you’d imagine (later today). But I think we’re going to have to bowl well still in the fourth innings.
“… Going into day three I think it’s pretty close to 50-50.”
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When Starc arrived at the crease following a collapse of 7-45, Australia were just 140 in front and completely exposed.
But under extreme pressure, Carey led a backs-to-the-wall 61 off 85-run stand which would have been cut significantly short if not for Carey surviving an lbw dismissal by the barest of inside edges picked up on DRS when he was on 19.
Carey was ultimately dismissed in the shadows of stumps lbw for 43 and Starc should have been out caught in the slips for 13 in the final over only to be shelled by Marco Jansen.
Australia, who have clawed their way to 8-144, still desperately want tail-end runs from Starc (14 not out), Nathan Lyon (1 not out) and Josh Hazlewood when play resumes in the morning to provide a bigger buffer for those same men to defend.
“I think initially when I walked out (to bat) anything over (a lead of) 200 (seemed good), so it’s good to get over that,” Cummins said.
“But you just want to get as many runs as you can. Happy we got 200. Hopefully we get another 20 or 30 in the morning. That would be good. I think that would give us a few more options to bowl and set up a few more aggressive fields and that sort of thing.”
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Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised Carey for his strength of character to return to Lord’s two years after his part in the Jonny Bairstow controversy as a player who has only risen in stature. Cummins also praised Carey for shifting the momentum.
“I think the mood in the change room was pretty positive towards the end there. It was a great partnership, 50 odd. With each run it was almost like a run chase,” Cummins said.
“It seems like the No.6 and 7 is always the trickiest place to bat. And No.5. What Trav Head has done over the years, Beau has played some crucial knocks lately and Kez (Carey) has been brilliant.
“He’s dragged us out of that. He bats brilliantly with the tail as well, leading that … valuable partnership which puts the pressure back on the opposition when it seems like they’re on top.
“He was brilliant today.”
If South Africa had been offered a chance to chase a low target to win their first ever ICC World title they would have taken it, but hours earlier it appeared as though their curse was sure to continue.
The Proteas vowed to hold nothing back in chasing what would be sporting history for the proud cricketing nation.
“We’re very confident,” Bedingham said.
“I think the batters will have their plans.
“I think it’s just an amazing chance and I think we’re all very, very excited about the opportunity to win.
“I think when they started batting in their third innings, I think we would have definitely had them or taken them 220 for eight.
“It could go either way but I think us as a team are very, very excited and there’s a lot of belief in the dressing room.”
Cummins produced one of his finest bowling performances to take 4-1 in the space of 17 balls to skittle South Africa for 138 midway through day two.
But Australia was unable to capitalise on its 74-run first innings lead and lost 5-29 in 45 minutes in scenes of complete carnage at the Home of Cricket.
The story of the day was the rise of underrated South African quick Lungi Ngidi who had been written off by commentators after a lacklustre start to the Test, only to spend teammates and the pro-South African crowd into raptures with the key scalp of Steve Smith (13), before following up with the dismissals of Beau Webster (9) and Cummins (6) as well.
Earlier the collapse started when first-innings assassin Kagiso Rabada returned to produce a near-carbon copy of his first innings feat of dismissing Usman Khawaja (6) and Cameron Green (0) in the one over.
It was groundhog day also for Labuschagne (22) who was out caught behind to Marco Jansen for the second time in the match and his animated shouts of anguish as he walked from the field were that of a man who knows he may be on his way out of the Test team.
Man of the match from the 2023 WTC Final Travis Head also completed a sorry outing with two cheap dismissals at times when Australia desperately needed his rearguard qualities – including being bowled by the South African allrounder Wiaan Mulder.
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Star of the future Sam Konstas must now return for the first Test in the West Indies later this month regardless of whether Australia wins or loses the WTC.
Serious questions must be asked about Australia’s decision to leave Konstas out of this match given the disrupter qualities he showcased on his debut at the MCG on Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah – a bowler the rest of the Australians had found unplayable.
It seems hard to believe Konstas has been left out of the team since the series-defining role he played in that series against India.
Australia decided to pick for conditions in Sri Lanka and to reward experience in England for the WTC but the shuffling around of batsmen may have ultimately contributed to more uncertainty heading into the Ashes.
Khawaja made a brilliant double century in Sri Lanka but he will turn 39 during the Ashes and his struggles against good fast bowling in recent times is starting to stack up.
Green has been parachuted back at No.3 but will need a big series against the West Indies to prove that isn’t a position too high for him.
Relive the action from day two of the World Test Championship final below.
Originally published as Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc rescue Australia after staggering collapse on day two of WTC final
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