The WTC Final Day 2 Battle at Lord’s was just as exciting as the first day! Like Day 1, another 14 wickets fell as Australia and South Africa kept fighting hard. Most of the action came from the fast bowlers on both sides, who kept taking wickets and creating pressure.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, bowled an amazing spell (taking 6 wickets for just 28 runs). His brilliant bowling helped finish South Africa’s first innings quickly.
South Africa, who had started the session after lunch at 121 runs for 5 wickets, were bowled out for only 138 runs. This gave Australia a lead of 74 runs.
However, South Africa fought back strongly. Their bowlers, especially Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, bowled exceptionally well. They managed to reduce Australia to a struggling score of 73 runs for 7 wickets in their second innings.
But then, Alex Carey helped Australia get slightly ahead with his attacking batting, scoring 43 runs. He got good support from Mitchell Starc in an important 61-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Australia finished the day at 144 runs for 8 wickets, leading South Africa by 218 runs. This back-and-forth action defined the WTC Final Day 2 Battle.
South Africa’s First Innings Collapse
South Africa’s first innings wrapped up very quickly in the second part of the day (second session). They had resumed their innings from Day 1 at 43 runs for 4 wickets.
In the morning session, Temba Bavuma looked much more confident than he did on the previous evening. He scored runs regularly, including an impressive six off Cummins.
He was given out (LBW) off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling, but he used the DRS (Decision Review System) and the decision was changed. Replays showed the ball hit his bat first, much to his surprise and relief.
Bavuma and David Bedingham built a strong 64-run partnership. Bedingham also started playing some good shots. However, Bavuma was eventually caught by a terrific diving catch from Marnus Labuschagne off a Cummins delivery just before lunch. This was a big wicket.
After a short rain break, Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne resumed their partnership in the second session. But it didn’t last long. Verreynne was out LBW to Cummins.
Cummins, who had a brief collision with Verreynne, quickly got up and asked for a review, and his decision was proven right.
Cummins took another wicket in the same over, catching Marco Jansen’s shot himself. He then made history by becoming the first captain since Daniel Vettori in 2008 to take five wickets in an innings at Lord’s (a “fifer”). He achieved this by getting Bedingham caught behind for 45 runs.
Keshav Maharaj was run out soon after. Kagiso Rabada then fell to a short ball from Cummins, which was also Cummins’s 300th wicket in Test matches – a huge milestone! South Africa was all out for 138, showcasing Cummins’s dominance in the WTC Final Day 2 Battle.
Australia’s Second Innings Begins with Struggles
After South Africa was quickly dismissed, Australia started their second innings. Marnus Labuschagne helped them get off to a steady start, pushing their lead closer to the 100-run mark.
South Africa used a review but lost it when Usman Khawaja missed a pull shot off Jansen, and the replay clearly showed no edge.
Australia’s lead reached over 100 runs, but then Kagiso Rabada brought South Africa back into the game. He took two wickets in the same over, dismissing both Khawaja and Cameron Green. Khawaja edged the ball to the wicketkeeper, and Green gave an easy catch to third slip just before the Tea break. This quick double strike added to the WTC Final Day 2 Battle intensity.
Mid-Innings Collapse and Ngidi’s Impact
Labuschagne and Steve Smith tried to rebuild the innings in the final session. However, scoring runs was not easy. The South African fast bowlers kept the bowling very tight. Lungi Ngidi, who didn’t seem at his best earlier, found his rhythm.
The partnership between Labuschagne and Smith added only 16 runs before Labuschagne was tempted into a drive by Jansen and edged the ball to the wicketkeeper.
Ngidi then trapped Smith LBW. South Africa successfully used the DRS to get the decision in their favour. Re-energized by the wicket, Ngidi struck again, getting Beau Webster out LBW, and Australia lost a review trying to overturn the decision.
Australia’s score became 66 for 6 wickets when Wiaan Mulder bowled Travis Head with a ball that sharply moved back towards the stumps. This sudden collapse made the WTC Final Day 2 Battle even more exciting.
Carey and Starc’s Crucial Partnership
South Africa lost another review when Ngidi thought he had Carey out LBW, but replays showed the ball was going over the stumps. Cummins hit a boundary in the same over, but Ngidi quickly hit back by bowling the Australian captain.
Carey and Starc edged the ball a couple of times, but luckily for them, the ball landed safely, short of Aiden Markram at second slip. Meanwhile, Rabada returned to bowl, and Carey hit a couple of boundaries off him. Jansen also bowled a couple of no-balls (overstepping the crease), giving Australia some extra crucial runs.
Carey was given out LBW off Jansen, but he successfully reviewed the decision, with replays showing an inside edge. This over yielded 11 runs, and Australia’s lead went past 180 runs. Starc provided great support to Carey by rotating the strike (making sure Carey faced most of the balls). This partnership was vital in the WTC Final Day 2 Battle.
When Rabada found the edge of Starc’s bat, the ball died on Verreynne, who couldn’t hold onto a tough chance. Carey hit a four in the same over, bringing up their 50-run partnership, and the lead reached 200 shortly after.
Carey’s excellent innings finally ended when Rabada bowled a ball that came back into him, trapping him LBW. Rabada, however, seemed to be struggling a bit physically towards the end of the day. Mulder could have picked up the ninth wicket, but Jansen dropped Starc at gully in the last over of the day.
Australia finished the day at 144 runs for 8 wickets, with a lead of 218 runs. The WTC Final Day 2 Battle concluded with the match still tightly poised, promising an exciting Day 3.
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