Bowlers rule the roost on Day 1 of the WTC Final as fourteen wickets tumble on first day with South Africa 169 behind.
On the first day of the World Test Championship final, the defending champions fired back, with Australia’s bowlers following Kagiso Rabada’s lead. The match had been advertised as a duel between two attacks, and the fact that 14 wickets were lost on the opening day at Lord’s suggested that the mace’s destiny may be determined quickly.
After Australia was held to 212 by Rabada’s 5 for 51, which was his second appearance on the Lord’s honours board, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood responded in the final session, leaving South Africa struggling at 43 for 4 and turning to their captain, Temba Bavuma, for motivation.
Bavuma was happy to bowl first under cloudy conditions, and Australia’s rearranged top three had dropped before lunch. However, they had a chance to regroup at 146 for 4, where Steven Smith was set despite having the sick, and 192 for 5, where Beau Webster had taken advantage of a reprieve on 4 after South Africa failed to review an LBW, but they lost their final five wickets for 20.
When Markram lingered on an inswinger in the first over, Starc delivered the reaction Australia needed. When Ryan Rickelton snatched a drive to first slip, Starc didn’t have to wait long for a second, but Alex Carey dropped a regulation outside edge off Wiaan Mulder.
Mulder struggled to 6 off 44 balls while batting at No. 3 for the third time in Test cricket before Cummins beat him on the drive. Bavuma and Mulder combined for eight goals off of 81 deliveries, but South Africa was unable to score. Returning from injury, Hazlewood unleashed a brilliant delivery that slipped back past Tristan Stubbs in the closing stages of a day that was never short on action. Although Australia’s batting order had been impressive, worries about South Africa’s were ringing true.