Fourteen wickets fell on a dramatic opening day of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s
First-over king Mitchell Starc has sparked an Australian fightback late on day one of the World Test Championship final after his side were bowled out for 212 in a fast-moving opening to the biennial Test showpiece.
South Africa spearhead Kagiso Rabada had earlier vindicated his captain’s bold decision to bowl first in the WTC decider as the Proteas made a bright start in their quest to overturn their painful history at ICC events to win their first major title.
But Starc brought their momentum to a grinding halt six balls into their batting innings, striking for the 19th time in the first over of a Test innings as Aiden Markram chopped on for a duck.
Steve Smith (66) and Beau Webster’s (72) counterattack after lunch ensured the Aussie attack had something to bowl at, the pair’s 79-run fifth-wicket stand helping the reigning WTC champions avert total disaster after slipping to 4-67 at the main interval.
Starc’s magnificent opening spell (2-10 from seven overs) could have been even better, but wicketkeeper Alex Carey missed a golden opportunity to have the Proteas two down early, shelling rookie No.3 Wiaan Mulder on one as he flashed hard at a full delivery from the Australian left-armer.
The Aussie keeper got himself in quite a tangle as he moved to his right down the iconic Lord’s slope, barely laying a glove on it as it slammed into his chest before both player and ball dropped to the turf in agonising unison.
Khawaja made no such mistake at first slip a few overs later as Starc lured an outside edge from Ryan Rickelton who couldn’t resist pushing at a full delivery following a couple of booming straight drives.
Carey was off the hook as the shadows lengthened on day one, with Mulder, in just his second innings at SA’s first choice No.3, failed to make most of his reprieve.
The right-hander got off the mark from his first ball faced but then took another 35 balls to find his second run before skipper Pat Cummins (1-14) put him out of his misery with a delivery that nipped back and crashed into the stumps, sending Mulder on his way for six from 44 balls faced.
Proteas captain Bavuma also took 31 balls to register his first run as any momentum they had from their bowling innings stalled as quickly as the scoreboard, while Josh Hazlewood (1-10) castled Tristan Stubbs (2) for his first wicket in his return to the Test side.
Bavuma went to stumps unbeaten on three from 37 balls with David Bedingham at the other end on a contrastingly swift eight not out from nine balls faced.
After becoming the leading overseas batter at Lord’s during his 112-ball knock, Smith said Australia’s day “could have been even better” if not for a few missed opportunities in their batting innings.
“We’re in a good spot (but) we probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total,” Smith told media after play.
“I think the wicket has offered something all day and we’re in a pretty good position, 169 in front.
“They’re four down so we’re in a decent spot. Hopefully, it does a little bit in the morning (on day two) like it did today.”
Rabada earlier claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches at Lord’s as Australia were bowled out inside 57 overs early in the final session.
Skipper Temba Bavuma inserted Australia’s new-look top three of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green on a gloomy London morning and they succumbed to the relentless pressure from Rabada (5-51) and new ball partner Marco Jansen (3-49).
Khawaja and Labuschagne were Australia’s seventh different opening pair of the WTC cycle – the most by any team – but Rabada made sure their union was short-lived as he struck twice in four balls in his fourth over.
Khawaja was first to go for a 20-ball duck, squared up by a ball that just left him a touch off the pitch into the waiting hands of David Bedingham at first slip.
Rabada’s second three balls later was a peach – full and angling in towards the leg stump, it decked sharply towards off and there was little Green could do to avoid it finding the edge of his bat.
The catch by Aiden Markram at second slip was just as good hanging onto the chance low down around his ankles as Mulder flung himself across from third slip.
Labuschagne, Australia’s fifth opener since David Warner’s retirement, was beginning to look comfortable amid his 56-ball stay but fell into old habits on 17 when he pushed at a full ball outside off-stump and offered a simple chance that ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne gladly accepted.
Towering left-armer Jansen stuck again before lunch to have the world’s No-1 ranked Test side reeling at 4-67 when 2023 WTC final centurion Travis Head was strangled down the leg-side on what turned out to be the final ball of the session.
World Test Championship Final
June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord’s
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Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
