WTC Final : AUS in driving seat, lead SA by 218 at stumps on Day 2

Australia maintained their vantage successful the World Test Championship last against South Africa astatine Lord's connected Thursday, led by skipper Pat Cummins's exceptional bowling show and Alex Carey's important 43 runs.

Despite a melodramatic illness that saw Australia reduced to 73-7 successful their 2nd innings, they ended the time astatine 144-8, establishing a important pb of 218 runs.Pat Cummins delivered a singular spell, taking 4 wickets for conscionable 1 tally arsenic South Africa were bowled retired for 138 successful effect to Australia's first-innings full of 212. Cummins finished with awesome figures of 6-28, reaching the milestone of 300 Test wickets.The 2nd time witnessed a flurry of wickets, with 28 dismissals crossed some teams connected a transportation that offered immoderate assistance to accelerated bowlers but remained playable. The match, primitively scheduled for 5 days, could perchance reason earlier the 3rd day's end. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi led South Africa's bowling onslaught successful Australia's 2nd innings. Rabada, who had already claimed 5-51 successful the archetypal innings, continued his beardown show with 3-44, portion Ngidi contributed with 3-35.

South Africa's skipper Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham provided the lone important absorption during their archetypal innings, sharing a fifth-wicket concern of 64 runs. Bavuma scored 36 portion Bedingham contributed 45.The Australian illness began erstwhile Rabada dismissed Usman Khawaja for six and Cameron Green for a duck successful the 11th over. Green's little quality resulted successful conscionable 4 runs from 5 balls crossed some innings.

Marnus Labuschagne, successful his debut arsenic a Test opener, was caught down for 22 disconnected Marco Jansen. Beau Webster, who had top-scored with 72 successful Australia's archetypal innings, fell lbw to Ngidi, reducing Australia to 48-4.

The concern worsened for Australia erstwhile Cummins was bowled by Ngidi's yorker, leaving them astatine 73-7. However, Carey and Mitchell Starc mounted a recovery, sharing an eighth-wicket concern of 61 runs earlier Carey was dismissed lbw by Rabada.

The day's last implicit saw a missed accidental erstwhile Jansen dropped Starc, past connected 14, disconnected Wiaan Mulder's bowling. Starc remained unbeaten connected 16 astatine stumps.Cummins's outstanding bowling show earned him a spot connected the Lord's honours board. His reception was notably antithetic from 2 years agone erstwhile helium faced boos pursuing a arguable stumping incidental involving Carey and Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test.

The lucifer remains poised with Australia connected the beforehand foot, holding a 218-run pb with 2 wickets remaining successful their 2nd innings.