Australia’s fast bowlers  offered a strong comeback on the first day of the World Test Championship final after a fiery opening spell from Kagiso Rabada. The match was billed as a battle between two  redoubtable bowling attacks, and the 14 lattices that fell on Day 1 at Lord’s suggested that the mace’s final destination could be decided sooner rather than  latterly.  

 Rabada took 5 lattices for 51 runs — the alternate time he has made it onto the Lord’s Honours Board — as Australia were  sailed out for 212. But  also Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood struck back in the final session, reducing South Africa to 43 for 4 and leaving them looking to their captain, Temba Bavuma, for alleviation.

   Australia lost their top three batters before lunch after Bavuma  tagged to  coliseum first under heavily  heavy skies. still, at 146 for 4 with Steven Smith playing despite having the flu — and  also 192 for 5 after Beau Webster was given a lifeline on 4 runs when South Africa did n’t review an LBW appeal, they had a chance to recover. But they lost their last five lattices for just 20 runs.  Aiden Markram, who dismissed Smith, turned out to be one of the most  unanticipated gate- takers of the match. “ I’m still trying to figure out how I did it, ” he said 

 latterly. Australia  demanded a response, and Starc  handed it  incontinently( again) in the first over, when he  sailed an inswinger to dismiss Markram.   Starc should have had a alternate gate soon after, but Alex Carey dropped a regulation edge off Wiaan Mulder. still, the delay was n’t long — Ryan Rickelton drove one straight to first slip. traipsing at No. 3 for just the third time in Tests, Mulder  plodded to score, managing just 6 runs from 44 balls before Cummins dismissed him with a full delivery. 

  South Africa  plodded to score Mulder and Bavuma combined for just 8 runs from 81 balls. In the final moments of a day filled with action, Hazlewood, back in the  platoon after injury,  sailed a superb delivery that came back  sprucely to  coliseum Tristan Stubbs.   enterprises over South Africa’s fur order were validated, though Australia’s own fur lineup also appeared vulnerable.  

 The day ended under bright sun, but it had started under thick  pall cover with floodlights on. The Test began with three  successive  demoiselle overs the first time Australia had done that since 2020 — and the first runs off the  club came only on the 21st ball.   

It looked like Smith was casting another  pivotal innings at Lord’s, fur more comfortably than anyone differently, while Lungi Ngidi  plodded to support the good work of Rabada and Marco Jansen. But suddenly, Smith drove at an  out- incentive from Markram — brought on just to change ends — and edged it to slip, where Jansen used his long reach to take the catch after juggling it  doubly.   Webster completed his alternate Test half- century off 69 balls, and at tea, he and Carey had begun to  make a dangerous  cooperation. still, South Africa got another gate through spin when Carey  tried a rear  reach and top- edged Keshav Maharaj’s delivery.