Image: Australia took the lead while South Africa failed / © ESPNCricinfo
On June 11, 2025, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London hosted the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, a clash between defending champions Australia and first-time finalists South Africa. It was a day that had cricket fans glued to their screens, with 14 wickets falling and the game swinging back and forth like a pendulum. By stumps, South Africa were 43/4 in 22 overs, trailing Australia’s first innings total of 212 by 169 runs.
Australia’s first innings was a story of early wobbles, a brave fightback, and a sudden collapse, ending at 212 all out in 56.4 overs. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma called it right at the toss, choosing to bowl first under cloudy skies. His bowlers didn’t disappoint, with Kagiso Rabada leading the charge, picking up a fiery 5/51, while Marco Jansen chipped in with 3/49. The innings got off to a rocky start for Australia. Opener Usman Khawaja, usually rock-solid, was caught by David Bedingham off Rabada for a 20-ball duck in the seventh over. Cameron Green, batting at number three in a new-look top order, didn’t last long either, nicking Rabada to Aiden Markram for just 4. At 16/2, Australia were in trouble.
Marnus Labuschagne, opening for the first time in a Test, hung around for 17 off 56 balls but couldn’t convert, edging Jansen to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne before lunch. Travis Head tried to counterattack, smacking 11 off 13 balls, but he too fell to Jansen, leaving Australia 67/4 at the break. The morning belonged to South Africa, with their pacers hitting the right spots and the slip fielders pouching everything.
After lunch, Steve Smith and debutant Beau Webster turned things around. Smith, playing with a newfound calm, looked in control, stroking 10 fours on his way to 66 off 112 balls. Webster, nervous at first, survived a close DRS call and grew into his innings, playing some cracking drives to score 72 off 92 balls with 11 fours. Their 79-run stand for the fifth wicket dragged Australia past 100 and gave them hope. Smith’s fifty, off 76 balls, was a masterclass in adapting to tough conditions, while Webster’s knock showed he belonged on the big stage.
But just when Australia seemed to be building a solid total, things unravelled after tea. Smith fell to a surprise blow from Aiden Markram’s part-time spin, caught by Jansen for 66. Alex Carey kept the scoreboard ticking with a brisk 23 off 31 balls, but Keshav Maharaj bowled him to spark a collapse. Rabada returned to rip through the tail, dismissing Pat Cummins (1) and Mitchell Starc (1), while Jansen sent back Nathan Lyon for a duck. Webster’s fighting 72 ended with another Rabada scalp, and Australia folded for 212. It wasn’t a massive total, but as Webster later said, the pitch was still doing plenty, giving Australia’s bowlers a chance to strike back.
South Africa’s reply was nothing short of a disaster, as Australia’s bowlers came out swinging and reduced them to 43/4 in 22 overs by the close of play. Trailing by 169 runs, the Proteas were left-leaning on captain Temba Bavuma (3* off 37 balls) and David Bedingham (8* off 9) to pull off a miracle on day two. Australia’s pace attack, led by Mitchell Starc, was relentless, giving away just 1.95 runs per over and making life miserable for the batsmen. It all went wrong from the first over. Starc, bowling with fire, sent Aiden Markram’s stumps flying for a six-ball duck, setting the tone for a brutal evening.
Ryan Rickelton tried to fight back, hitting three crisp boundaries for 16 off 23 balls, but Starc struck again, getting him to edge to Khawaja at slip in the ninth over. South Africa’s gamble to promote Wiaan Mulder to number three didn’t work out. Mulder battled for 44 balls but scored only 6 before Pat Cummins bowled him with a gem that nipped back in the 16th over.
Tristan Stubbs, known for his big-hitting in T20s, couldn’t find his rhythm in the Test arena, scratching around for 2 off 13 balls.
Josh Hazlewood then delivered a beauty in the 21st over, pitching outside off and jagging in to bowl Stubbs through the gate. At 30/4, South Africa were staring down the barrel. Bavuma, unbeaten on 3, showed plenty of grit but struggled to score, while Bedingham offered a spark of hope, cracking two boundaries in his quick 8 not out. Their 13-run stand was a small positive, but South Africa were in deep trouble.
Australia’s bowlers were on point. Starc (2/10) was deadly with the new ball, Hazlewood (1/10) was his usual accurate self, and Cummins (1/14) led from the front. Even Nathan Lyon bowled a tidy over, conceding just one run. The Lord’s pitch, with its seam movement and bounce, was a bowler’s dream, and the slope made it even trickier for the batsmen. South Africa now faces a massive challenge to claw their way back, with Bavuma and Bedingham needing to channel some serious resolve, and players like Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen still to come.
With the Australian team fighting to build a solid total in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s on June 11, 2025, a pivotal moment came in the 51.1st over that triggered a dramatic collapse. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj, bowling from the Pavilion End over the wicket with a slip and short leg in place, outfoxed Alex Carey to shift the game’s momentum. Carey, on 23 off 31 balls with four boundaries, attempted a risky reverse sweep to a full, flighted delivery on middle and off. The ball dipped, sneaked under his bat, went behind his legs, and crashed into middle and leg stumps, leaving all three stumps exposed.
His 42-minute knock ended with Australia at 192/6, still hoping to push past 200. This wicket proved to be the turning point. After Carey’s dismissal, Australia’s innings fell apart spectacularly, losing their last five wickets for just 20 runs. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen capitalised, with Rabada dismissing Pat Cummins (1), Beau Webster (72), and Mitchell Starc (1), while Jansen removed Nathan Lyon (0). Australia crumbled from 192/5 to 212 all out in 56.4 overs.
Steve Smith’s gritty 66 off 112 balls was the backbone of Australia’s first innings total of 212 in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s on June 11, 2025. Walking in at a precarious 16/2 after Kagiso Rabada dismissed Usman Khawaja (0) and Cameron Green (4), Smith faced a fired-up South African attack on a lively pitch. Despite the early chaos, he set the tone for Australia’s fightback with a composed knock, laced with 10 fours, at a strike rate of 58.92. His 162-minute stay showcased his trademark patience and flair, navigating Rabada’s pace (5/51) and Marco Jansen’s bounce (3/49).
Smith’s innings was crucial, steadying the ship after Marnus Labuschagne (17) and Travis Head (11) fell, leaving Australia at 67/4. Partnering with debutant Beau Webster, he forged a vital 79-run stand for the fifth wicket, taking Australia past 100. His 76-ball fifty, studded with elegant drives, was a masterclass in handling pressure. Though dismissed by Aiden Markram’s part-time spin, caught by Jansen, Smith’s knock gave Australia a fighting chance. Without his resilience, Australia could have folded for far less against South Africa’s relentless bowling.
Day 1 of the WTC Final was a bowler’s paradise, with 14 wickets falling and both teams feeling the heat. South Africa’s choice to bowl first worked early, as Kagiso Rabada’s 5/51 and Marco Jansen’s 3/49 skittled Australia for 212. The Lord’s pitch, with its seam and bounce, tested every batsman, and the slope added an extra layer of difficulty. Australia ended the day on top, but South Africa’s batting depth means the fight’s far from over. Both teams will be looking to fight hard on day 2 and get the early advantage to get one step closer to the WTC Mace.