Australia suffered a dramatic batting collapse against South Africa on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. From a promising start, the Aussies crumbled to 210 for 8 in just 55 overs, with the post-tea session proving particularly costly.
Rabada Leads Ruthless Attack
South Africa’s pace spearhead, Kagiso Rabada, played a starring role, picking up four crucial wickets. He dismissed Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck and removed Cameron Green in the same over. Rabada returned later to clean up Pat Cummins and finally sent Beau Webster back for 72, caught at slip.
Rabada’s relentless line and length exploited the Lord’s pitch perfectly. He found seam movement and bounce, constantly troubling the Aussie middle and lower order.
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Webster’s Lone Resistance
Beau Webster stood firm while wickets fell around him. The right-hander struck a gritty 72 before edging Rabada to slip. His knock provided some stability after Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head departed cheaply — both falling to clever bowling from Marco Jansen and Rabada.
Steve Smith tried to steady the innings with a well-crafted half-century but edged Aiden Markram to slip shortly after reaching the milestone. His dismissal exposed the tail far earlier than Australia would have liked.
Maharaj Adds Spin Pressure
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj chipped in by removing Alex Carey, who misjudged a reverse sweep and was bowled around his legs. Maharaj now sits on 199 Test wickets, just one short of becoming the first South African spinner to reach 200.
Post-Tea Collapse
Australia’s slide began immediately after tea. Carey, Cummins, and Webster all fell within a short span, leaving the side reeling. The scoreboard barely moved between wickets, and South Africa’s bowlers stayed sharp and focused.
With only two wickets remaining, Australia now hopes for some lower-order resistance to push the score closer to 250. However, South Africa holds the upper hand after a disciplined and aggressive bowling display on a responsive surface.
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