South Africa eye 282-run chase after Australia fold for 207 in WTC final

South Africa delivered a spirited and disciplined bowling performance to dismiss Australia for 207 on Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, setting themselves a challenging target of 282 runs to claim the coveted title.

Across the first three days, the match has been defined by searing pace, relentless seam movement, and a consistent failure by the batters to adapt to testing conditions. Kagiso Rabada once again stood tall for the Proteas, finishing with figures of four for 59 in Australia’s second innings, underlining his status as South Africa’s premier strike bowler.

With only two of the six completed sessions yielding fewer than four wickets, the relentless dominance of the bowlers has been evident. The batsmen, on both sides, have struggled to negotiate the lateral movement and variable bounce on offer at Lord’s.

In Australia’s first innings, Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) had already left their mark, triggering a collapse from 192/5 to 212 all out. However, South Africa’s response with the bat was equally underwhelming.

It was then Pat Cummins who took center stage. The Australian captain produced a devastating spell, finishing with figures of 6 for 28, while Mitchell Starc offered solid support with 2 for 41. David Bedingham was the only batter to show resistance, scoring 45, while skipper Temba Bavuma chipped in with 36. Ultimately, South Africa crumbled to 138 all out.

The core of the South African top order failed to deliver. Aiden Markram was dismissed without troubling the scorers, while Tristan Stubbs managed just 2 runs. In a bold yet questionable move, Wiaan Mulder was promoted to bat at No. 3 but appeared out of his depth, labouring through 44 deliveries for his eventual score of 6 before falling cheaply.

This poor showing handed Australia a 76-run first innings advantage. Though the Australians resumed on 144/8 on Friday morning, they had already extended their lead to a formidable 218.

Despite South Africa’s excellent effort to wrap up the Australian innings quickly, the task ahead remains daunting. Their batting lineup, barring Bedingham and Bavuma, appeared fragile in the first innings and will need to rise significantly above expectations in order to chase down 282 and be crowned World Test Championship winners.

This article first appeared on Mid Day