Aussie quicks enact revenge in World Test Championship final as tricky Lord’s wicket causes major headaches
Australia’s three-pronged pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood has put the Aussies firmly in the box seat in the World Test Championship final.
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Kagiso Rabada added his name to the Lord’s Honours Board for a second time before Australia’s world-class pace attack dismantled the South African top order as Pat Cummins’ men seized control of the World Test Championship final.
Fourteen wickets fell as the bowlers dominated an eventful opening day at the Home of Cricket, with South Africa reeling at 4-43 after Starc, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood wreaked havoc late in the evening session.
The Proteas are trailing by 169 runs at stumps with skipper Temba Bavuma (3*) and fellow batter David Bedingham (8*) unbeaten in the middle with plenty to do.
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Earlier, the reigning champions were bowled out for 212 after Bavuma elected to bowl first in hopes of exposing the opposition’s unsettled top order under grey skies, a brave call that quickly paid dividends when Australia collapsed to 4-67.
Rabada claimed 5-51 from 15.4 overs, his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests, while Australian vice-captain Steve Smith and all-rounder Beau Webster notched fifties in a 79-run partnership to rebuild the innings.
Having recently served a one-month suspension for recreational drug use, Rabada tormented Australia’s top order in a probing opening spell of 2-9 from six overs, relentlessly threatening off stump with the shiny, wobbly Dukes.
Watch Kagiso Rabada’s two early wickets in the video player at the top of the page.
The watchful Usman Khawaja survived 30 minutes in challenging conditions without troubling the scorers before departing for a 20-ball duck, edging towards the slips cordon where David Bedingham swallowed a regulation chance.
Three deliveries later, Rabada accounted for the returning Cameron Green, batting at No. 3 for the first time in Tests, with a fuller delivery that kissed the outside edge and settled in Aiden Markram’s hands at second slip.
Newborn opener Marnus Labuschagne, potentially fighting for his Test career, added 30 for the third wicket alongside Smith before falling victim to Jansen for 17, fending in the channel and tickling behind to gloveman Kyle Verreynne.
On what proved the final delivery before lunch, the dangerous Travis Head strangled a wayward delivery from Jansen down the leg side, with Verreynne holding onto a one-handed chance low to his right. The South Australian’s head dropped in disbelief before he begrudgingly trudged off.
As the clouds parted and the sun emerged after the break, Smith launched into a counterattack and brought up his half-century in 76 deliveries with a full-blooded cut stroke. South Africa’s bowlers were considerably less disciplined in the afternoon session, often dropping short and angling down the leg side, while Wiaan Mulder was plagued by multiple front-foot no-balls.
Webster was gifted an extra life on 8 after the Proteas neglected to review a plumb LBW chance from Rabada, with three red lights appearing on ball-tracking. To rub salt into the wounds, the Tasmanian benefited from Umpire’s Call following an earlier LBW appeal, while Bavuma comically reviewed a delivery that missed the front pad altogether and struck the middle of Webster’s bat.
Part-time spinner Aiden Markram, who only boasts three Test scalps, was thrown the Dukes ball so the strike bowlers could switch ends — which proved an inadvertent masterstroke from Bavuma. Attempting to flash through the covers, Smith instead edged towards slip where Jansen held onto a juggling chance on the third attempt, with the Australian departing for 66.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey was left red-faced after botching a reverse sweep immediately
after the tea interval, bowled by spinner Keshav Maharaj and throwing his wicket away for 23. The reckless dismissal exposed Australia’s tail and prompted a collapse of 5-20 in 34 balls, with Rabada and Jansen ripping through the lower order.
Rabada knocked over Cummins with a peach that crashed into the top of off stump before Webster departed for a career-best 72, wafting at a wide delivery and nicking towards the slips cordon.
“I thought all of us started extremely well (with the ball),” Rabada said during the innings break.
“I am just the one who got the rewards today.”
Starc only needed six deliveries to unearth the first breakthrough of South Africa’s innings, with opener Markram chopping back onto his stumps for a duck. The left-armed quick should have also accounted for Wiaan Mulder caught behind in the fifth over, only for Carey to inexplicably put down an absolute sitter with the gloves.
Starc’s disappointment was short-lived, however, with the speedster accounting for Proteas opener Ryan Rickelton a few minutes later for 16 courtesy of a sharp catch from Khawaja at first slip.
Bavuma, who needed 31 balls to get off the mark, survived a marginal LBW appeal before Cummins knocked over Mulder with a full delivery that crashed into middle stump – much to Carey’s relief.
With less than ten minutes remaining in the day, Hazlewood ensured the Australians had the ascendancy at stumps by beating Tristan Stubbs’ inside edge and toppling the young gun for 2.
Australia, boasting one of the greatest bowling attacks of the modern era, is competing to become the first nation to win consecutive World Test Championship titles, while the Proteas will be desperate to lift their first major trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout, a 27-year drought headlined by plenty of World Cup heartbreak.
South Africa topped the World Test Championship standings with eight victories in 12 matches, including seven wins in a row ahead of this week’s marquee fixture.
The World Test Championship final resumes on Thursday at 7.30pm AEST.
Originally published as Aussie quicks enact revenge in World Test Championship final as tricky Lord’s wicket causes major headaches
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