Poor review use, bad shot, Australia’s quicks define day one of World Test Championship final
On a rollercoaster opening day in the World Test Championship final, the standout moments ensured the match remained open to both teams.
It was as costly as a regulation dropped catch.
South Africa will lament 64 of Beau Webster’s career-best 72 runs after failing to review a stone-cold LBW.
Webster was in all sorts at the start of his innings, struggling to lay bat on ball and narrowly surviving numerous appeals.
One of those shouts was not sent upstairs and later deemed to be crashing into the stumps on ball tracker.
A successful referral would have reduced Australia to 5-94.
The missed opportunity spooked Proteas captain Temba Bavuma into wasting two reviews in their next two appeals.
Webster escaped an earlier review on 1 that remained the umpire’s call, as did Steve Smith when he was on 27 batting Australia out of early trouble.
The reviews were just about the only thing South Africa did wrong in the field on day one after bowling and catching brilliantly.
ODD SHOT BLOWS DOOR OPEN
The Proteas couldn’t have asked for a timelier gift after tea.
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey picked a peculiar time to play his favoured reverse sweep after the break.
Carey (23 off 31 balls) had to that point supported Beau Webster in getting the game back on Aussie terms.
There was a deep point protecting the boundary and it was Carey’s second ball after the break when he was bowled by off-spinner Keshav Maharaj.
The Carey dismissal opened the door for class South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada to run through the Aussie tail.
Carey had a 90 minutes to forget after tea, later dropping a catch off Mitchell Starc.
Luckily for the gloveman, the grassed catch only cost the Aussies five runs.
CLINICAL KG
Rabada issued a stern reminder of his prowess with three magical spells on day one.
The first sent a chill through the Australian dressing room as he took two wickets inside the first hour of play.
Rabada supported his captain’s decision to send the Aussies in by claiming opener Usman Khawaja and No.3 Cameron Green in the space of four balls.
The No.2 ranked Test bowler in the world then produced a superb spell after lunch but luck was not on his side.
That luck ultimately came after tea and he made the most of it with three quick wickets.
Rabada’s clinical 5-51 – his second five-wicket haul at Lord’s – helped sink Australia from 5-192 to all out for 212.
THE END CHANGE HERO
South African Aiden Markram became the unlikeliest of partnership breakers in an end change over.
All-rounder Wiaan Mulder bowled beautifully in his first spell at the Nursery End but struggled in the first over of his second spell down the slope at the Pavilion End.
Mulder was replaced after that one over by opening bat and part-time off-spinner Markram in an obvious tactical end change.
But Markram, with a previous bowling average of 85, mounted a case for more overs by jagging the prized scalp of Steve Smith (66).
Smith saw the funny side of his dismissal after the day’s play, laughing at the thought of outside edging the part-timer up the slope.
NO ESCAPING THESE QUICKS
If Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood don’t get you, then Pat Cummins will.
The superstar Aussie trio penned an all-too-familiar story in another remarkable final session.
Starc, as he often does, got Australia off to the perfect start by castling Markram in the first over.
He then dismissed Ryan Rickelton (16 off 23) soon after before Hazlewood and Cummins put the finishing touches on an exquisite display of new-ball bowling.
The three quicks have combined for 959 Test wickets and it’s hard to not see them piling more on top of that tally on day two.
Originally published as Poor review use, bad shot, Australia’s quicks define day one of World Test Championship final
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