London, June 12 (IANS) In what was another see-saw day of Test match action, where 14 wickets fell again, Australia captain Pat Cummins’ sensational spell of 6-28 and Alex Carey’s fighting 43 ensured that the current mace holders extended their lead past 200 on Day Two of 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s on Thursday.
Cummins had earlier given his team a vital 74-run lead after his brilliant spell, including him reaching the landmark of 300 Test wickets, led to South Africa being dismissed for 138. Though Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi took three-fers, Carey’s timely knock, laced with five boundaries, ensured Australia went past 200 in terms of lead.
From being in tatters at 73/7, Carey’s knock, along with his critical 61-run stand stitched with Mitchell Starc, has ensured that Australia could be favourites to retain the mace ahead of what could potentially be the final day of the 2025 World Test Championship final after ending day two at 144/8 in 40 overs.
In the morning, resuming from 43/4, South Africa amassed 78 runs in the morning session. As compared to his stoic nature in the final session on day one’s play, skipper Temba Bavuma got going by hammering Mitchell Starc for two drives before David Bedingham unfurled an on-drive off the left-arm pacer. On 17, Bavuma was trapped lbw by Josh Hazlewood, but he survived as replays showed an inside-edge.
Bavuma continued to show a proactive approach by cracking Starc and Hazlewood for boundaries, before swivelling Cummins over square leg for six, even as Bedingham brought out a straight drive. The 64-run stand between Bavuma and Bedingham ended when the South African captain went for an uppish drive off Cummins, but Marnus Labuschagne dived to his right to take a superb catch and send back the batter for 36.
In the final over before lunch, there was a potential handled-the-ball moment when Bedingham inside-edged into his pad-flap and immediately reached down to grab the ball to throw it on the ground, even as Alex Carey was getting forward to claim for a catch. Bedingham then cracked two boundaries off Webster to end a good first session in South Africa’s favour.
But shortly after lunch, Cummins struck by trapping Kyle Verreynne lbw, despite the duo crashing into each other. Replays showed that Verreynne got very far across, with the ball just clipping the top of the off-stump. One brought two for Cummins as Marco Jansen made a tame pushback to the bowler, giving him a simple catch off his own bowling.
Cummins got his fifer when he got away movement, and found the faintest of edges of Bedingham’s bat and was easily caught behind by the keeper, as the batter was dismissed for 45. Shortly after Keshav Maharaj was run out in the pursuit of a tight second run, Cummins completed his six-for when Kagiso Rabada picked out a diving deep mid-wicket, as South Africa lost their last five wickets for 18 runs in 37 balls, thus giving Australia a crucial lead.
Australia had a good start to their second innings, with Marnus Labuschagne taking a four each off Rabada and Jansen. But just like in the first innings, Rabada made a double strike – squaring up Usman Khawaja with a superb round-the-wicket delivery, and taking his edge to the keeper, as the batter fell for six off 23 balls.
One brought two for Rabada again as Cameron Green hung his bat outside the off-stump on his second delivery, and thick-edged was caught by third slip to dismiss him for a duck, as the pacer took out both men in a single over for the second time in the ongoing title clash, before tea break came.
The final session began with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne being largely untroubled before the latter was drawn into a drive off a fuller ball from Marco Jansen and nicked behind to the keeper. In the next over, Ngidi beat Smith’s outside edge and hit him on the back pad, with the DRS showing the ball would crash into stumps, thus trapping the batter lbw on 13.
Ngidi struck again when he trapped Beau Webster plumb lbw, and the all-rounder burnt a review, as replays showed the ball smashing the top of the middle stump. Australia were plunged into further trouble when Travis Head was castled by Wiaan Mulder, while Ngidi knocked over Pat Cummins.
Carey and Starc had to bide some time before the former brought out his cut, drive, flick, and sweep to get vital boundaries. After overturning an lbw decision, Carey missed a flick off Rabada and was rapped on pads by the pacer’s nip-backer coming from round the wicket. Starc got a reprieve on the final over of a roller-coaster day two as Jansen fumbled at the gully, with South Africa also guilty of bowling eight front-foot no-balls, as Australia pushed their lead past 200.
Brief scores:
Australia 212 and 144/8 in 40 overs (Alex Carey 43, Marnus Labuschagne 22; Lungi Ngidi 3-35, Kagiso Rabada 3-44) lead South Africa 138 all out in 57.1 overs (David Bedingham 45, Temba Bavuma 36; Pat Cummins 6-28, Mitchell Starc 2-41) by 218 runs
–IANS
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