Australia’s Mitchell Starc celebrates the dismissal of South Africa’s Aiden Markram during the World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s cricket ground in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
WTC Final, Day 1: After Kagiso Radada’s elite bowling and Steve Smith’s gritty batting, Aussie quicks put South Africa on the backfoot
Under crisp sunshine, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma and his partner David Bedingham retreated with relieved smiles to the pavilion. They would reflect on a day that was as satisfying as it was harrowing. If bowling out Australia for 212 was worthy of contentment, the score of 43/4 at stumps, and the shocking ineptitude of their top-order, would spook them.
An Australian backlash was imminent. The deck still had enough juice to provoke the devils, even though the sun was blazing; South Africa’s batting line-up is incredibly thin on grand-stage experience; and the trifecta of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood is as opportunistic as bowling cartels come. Starc removed the most gifted of them, Aiden Markram, with the last ball of the first over. The left-armer winkled out Ryan Rickleton, before Cummins and Hazlewood grabbed one apiece to leave South Africa reeling and anticipation already bubbling for another action-packed day.
