WTC Final: Ricky Ponting hails Rabada-Jansen duo after Day 1 exploits

On Day 1 of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, South Africa`s pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen wreaked havoc at the Lord`s Cricket Ground.

Rabada, bowling 15.4 overs, claimed five wickets by conceding 51 runs. On the other hand, Jansen joined the party as he bagged three wickets for 49 runs in 14 overs.

Speaking about their stunning spells, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said, “Marco is obviously getting a bit steeper bounce than what Rabada gets. When you`re talking about bowling partnerships or bowling combinations, you need guys that complement each other well”.

He also stated that over the years, Jansen and Rabada have worked together to achieve success.

“It`s no good having two guys that are exactly the same because then it feels like you`ve got the same stuff coming at you from both ends…those two have worked really well together now for a few years,” he added.

Considering Rabada`s destruction at the Lord`s Cricket Ground, Ponting compared it with his former teammate, Glenn McGrath.

“Glenn McGrath was also exactly the same at Lord`s. McGrath loved bowling at Lord`s and loved being able to use the slope both ways from either end of the ground, which is something that is probably not talked about as much as it should be,” he concluded.

Coming to the match, after Australia was put to bat first by SA, they sank to 67/4 at the end of the first session. A 79-run stand between Steve Smith (66 in 112 balls, with 10 fours) and Beau Webster (72 in 92 balls, with 11 fours) and Webster`s 46-run stand with Alex Carey (23 in 31 balls, with four boundaries) pushed Australia near to 200-run mark. But Kagiso Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) continued applying pressure, reducing the Aussies to 212.

SA had an even nightmarish start, losing their four wickets for 43 runs at the end of day`s play, with none of their batters touching the 20-run mark. Mitchell Starc got two wickets, while skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood got one wicket each. SA trails by 169 runs.

(With Agency Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day