Australia Leads While South Africa Fights Back in Test Championship Final

LONDON (AP) — The World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa remains poised for an exciting finish as Australia heads into Day 3 with a lead of 218 runs, having lost eight wickets by stumps on Day 2 at Lord’s.

Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, had a standout performance, taking 6 wickets for 28 runs, thus reaching 300 wickets in his Test career. His exceptional bowling helped to dismiss South Africa for just 138 runs in their first innings. After a shaky start, South Africa fell apart quickly after lunch, losing their last five wickets for only 12 runs.

Australia, however, struggled in their second innings despite starting with a 74-run lead. They reached 144-8 at the end of the day, after early breakthroughs from South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Rabada, who claimed 5 wickets for 51 runs in the first innings, once again made a significant impact by dismissing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in quick succession.

With Australia wobbling at 73-7, a crucial partnership developed between wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who scored 43, and Mitchell Starc, who remained unbeaten on 16. Rabada later trapped Carey in the next-to-last over, adding to the drama of the day that saw 14 wickets fall.

South Africa’s struggle to contain the Australian batting lineup continued, as Cummins expressed confidence in his team’s position. “Obviously, we’re really in a good position now,” said Ngidi. “Two balls could wrap it up for us.”

Despite the pressure from Australia, South Africa aims to secure their first ICC trophy in any format this century. Their earlier innings showed promise, but they must remain resilient as they prepare for another challenging innings.

As the teams look toward a potentially decisive third day, the fate of the match hangs in the balance, promising fans an exhilarating conclusion.