Mitchell Starc puts South Africa on back foot after wild start to WTC final
Mitchell Starc put Australia’s World Cup bunnies back where they want them after a wildly eventful day one of the World Test Championship Final, as South Africa rued a game-changing howler. WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS
Mitchell Starc has put Australia’s World Cup bunnies back where they want them as South Africa failed to capitalise on two blunders from Alex Carey and were left to rue a game-changing howler of their own.
On a wildly eventful day one of the World Test Championship Final, South Africa came out throwing punches thanks to a five-wicket masterclass from Kagiso Rabada, but by stumps they were the ones up against the ropes gasping for air at 4-43 as Australia’s heavyweight quicks hit back with interest.
Bowling first under lights on gloomy skies was South Africa’s best ticket to breaking their World Cup hoodoo, but despite executing that plan well, it didn’t take long for the chasm between the two batting line-ups to be brutally exposed and by the end of play the final looked like a mismatch.
Unheralded allrounder Beau Webster made a critical 72 to help Australia to 212, but should have been out for 8 had South Africa reviewed in what was the massive turning point of the day.
Steve Smith, who along with Webster made an important 66, praised warhorse Starc (2-10) as well as Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for turning the tables on South Africa who now trail by 169 with six wickets in hand.
“They’ve done it for a long time haven’t they. Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely,” Smith said.
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“When you know you’ve only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night you can probably give a little bit more knowing you’re going to have a break afterwards.
“The boys bowled a couple of long spells.
“They keep coming again and again and have done it for a long time.
“I looked up today and kind of forget every now and then Starcy has played 97 Tests which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler.
“He’s just relentless with his body. He’s a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain. The three have been great and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads.”
Back in the infamous 1999 World Cup semi-final, folklore says Steve Waugh famously asked South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs ‘How does it feel to drop the World Cup?
On Wednesday despite being flawless in so many other areas, South Africa were forced to ask themselves if they’d failed to review the World Cup, after giving a free pass to Webster on a day when bowling dominated haphazard batting.
Australia’s innings was hanging in the balance at 4-90 when Webster was hit on the pads and South Africa virtually declined to appeal let alone review, only for replays to show the Tasmanian would have been out dead to rights.
The proactive 72 Beau was able to muster from there now looks critical with South Africa’s struggle to score epitomised by captain Temba Bavuma who has faced 37 balls for his 3 not out.
Rabada admitted at stumps South Africa should have bowled Australia out for 160.
Smith, who had an inexplicable blooper of his own falling to part-time spinner Aiden Markram, admitted he was stunned South Africa didn’t go up when Webster was smashed on the leg right in front.
“It looked pretty good to me from the other end,” Smith said.
“… Someone said they saw Rabada shape to say he might have hit it. It certainly didn’t look like that from my view.
“But I was surprised they didn’t appeal more. I don’t think many people went up to be honest.
“From where I was I thought that looked pretty good. They had a chance to use a referral and didn’t.”
Australia, who were watched on from the stands by recently sacked Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, had some forgettable moments themselves.
None more so than Carey trying to reverse sweep after tea only to be bowled by a full toss to squander Australia’s chance to build towards a total of 300 and open the door for South Africa to run through the tail.
Carey opened it again when he dropped Proteas No.3 Wiaan Mulder when he was on just 1 with absolute sitter to Starc which would have left South Africa 2-8.
However, while Webster made South Africa pay for their error, the difference was the Proteas could not make the most of Carey’s blunder with Mulder facing another 34 balls and adding just five to the scoreboard before he had his stumps rearranged by Pat Cummins.
Carey suffered a tumultuous time at Lord’s back in 2023 when he was relentlessly booed for the stumping of Jonny Bairstow and it was a forgettable return for a player who has been in such outstanding form for Australia in recent times.
Smith defended Carey’s keeping mistake.
“He was fine after. I think it was just one of those ones that just swung a little bit on him which can happen with the Duke’s ball,” Smith said.
“It’s a tricky place to catch behind the wicket sometimes when the ball does that. He’s been keeping so well the last two years. We’re all allowed to drop them every now and then.”
South Africa caught brilliantly in contrast and as a result had Australia 4-67 at lunch with Rabada (5-51) and Marco Jansen (3-49) the architects which left Marnus Labuschagne’s place in the team hanging by a thread (17 off 56).
Replay all the action from Day 1 in the blog below.
Originally published as Mitchell Starc puts South Africa on back foot after wild start to WTC final
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