Kagiso Rabada double-strike, Lungi Ngidi’s burst put WTC final on knife-edge

Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi breathed life into South Africa’s pursuit of a dramatic victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, as Australia collapsed to 73/7 in their second innings at Lord’s on Thursday. Earlier, Pat Cummins had delivered a sensational spell, claiming 4 wickets for just 1 run to dismantle South Africa for 138 in response to Australia’s modest first-innings total of 212.

Despite trailing by 74, South Africa roared back into the contest. Rabada, who had already impressed with a 5/51 haul in the first innings, struck twice in a fiery 11th over. He dismissed Usman Khawaja for six, caught behind, before trapping Cameron Green for a duck just two balls later. Green, who had scored just four runs from five deliveries across both innings, endured a forgettable outing.

Post-tea, Australia’s innings unraveled further. Ngidi removed Steve Smith for 13 via an lbw decision upheld on review, and dismissed Beau Webster, Australia’s top-scorer in the first innings with 72, also lbw. Webster had previously benefitted from a missed review that could have seen him depart for just eight runs in the first innings.

All-rounder Wiaan Mulder joined the wicket-taking spree by clean bowling Travis Head for a low score, reducing Australia to 66/6. When Cummins was bowled by a lethal yorker from Ngidi, deflecting off his pads while attempting to back away, Australia had lost seven wickets with just 147 runs in hand. A total of 27 wickets had fallen in just two days, underscoring the dominance of pace in this contest.

Earlier in the day, Cummins produced one of the finest spells of his career. His final figures of 6/28 not only helped Australia seize the initiative but also brought up his 300th Test wicket, making it a memorable outing at Lord’s. South Africa’s lower order folded rapidly, losing their final five wickets for a mere 12 runs.

Captain Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham offered the only meaningful resistance, adding 64 runs for the fifth wicket. Bavuma, who resumed on three not out, found rhythm with a beautiful lofted drive off Mitchell Starc and a confident pull shot for six off Cummins. But the Australian skipper responded in style, having Bavuma caught brilliantly by Marnus Labuschagne at cover.

Cummins then removed Kyle Verreynne lbw and accepted a return catch to dismiss Marco Jansen for a duck. He concluded the innings in style by having Rabada caught low by Webster at deep square leg, prompting a standing ovation from the Lord’s crowd, an emotional redemption from the boos he faced during the 2023 Ashes for the Bairstow stumping incident.

This article first appeared on Mid Day