AUS vs SA WTC Final: Bowlers dominate as 14 wickets fall on Day 1

Australia fought backmost against South Africa connected time 1 of the World Test Championship last astatine Lord's, London connected Wednesday. After being bowled retired for 212 with Kagiso Rabada taking 5-51, Australia's Mitchell Starc led a bowling comeback that near South Africa struggling astatine 43-4 astatine stumps, trailing by 169 runs.The lucifer began with South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma winning the flip and choosing to vessel successful overcast conditions favorable for bowling. Rabada rapidly enactment Australia successful occupation astatine 16-2, dismissing some Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green successful a azygous over.Rabada, returning to Test cricket aft serving a one-month prohibition for cocaine use, demonstrated his prowess by taking 2 wickets for conscionable 4 runs successful 4 balls. The 30-year-old gait bowler present has implicit 300 Test wickets to his name.

Marnus Labuschagne, Australia's latest opener pursuing David Warner's retirement, managed 17 disconnected 56 balls earlier falling to Marco Jansen. Travis Head could lone people 11 earlier being caught by Kyle Verreynne disconnected Jansen's bowling.

Steve Smith and Beau Webster helped stabilize the Australian innings with a important 79-run concern for the 5th wicket. Webster, who scored 72, had a fortunate flight erstwhile helium would person been lbw to Rabada connected 8 had South Africa reviewed the decision.

Smith reached his 50 but yet fell for 66 to part-time spinner Aiden Markram, caught by Jansen astatine slip. Australia's innings rapidly unraveled arsenic they mislaid their last 5 wickets for conscionable 20 runs, with Rabada finishing with figures of 5-51.In response, South Africa's batting struggled against Australia's gait attack. Starc removed Markram for a duck and dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 16, reducing South Africa to 19-2.

Wiaan Mulder, batting astatine fig three, survived an aboriginal accidental erstwhile wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropped a straightforward drawback disconnected Starc. However, Mulder lone managed to people six runs from 44 balls earlier being bowled by Pat Cummins.Bavuma took 31 balls to get disconnected the mark, scoring a 2 disconnected Josh Hazlewood that drew cheers from South African supporters. Hazlewood aboriginal claimed the wicket of Tristan Stubbs earlier the adjacent of play.

At stumps, David Bedingham remained unbeaten connected eight, having deed consecutive boundaries disconnected Cummins successful the last over. Bavuma was not retired connected three, with South Africa facing an uphill conflict to lucifer Australia's archetypal innings total.The lucifer concern mirrors Australia's presumption successful the 2023 last against India astatine the Oval, wherever they recovered from aboriginal occupation done centuries from Smith and Head to triumph the match.