This final has been dubbed “The Ultimate Test” and, though almost certainly the product of a W1A-style ideas splurge back in Dubai, this tagline scarcely felt more appropriate watching the wickets tumble for a second successive day.
It had looked for all money as if Pat Cummins had sealed the fate of the World Test Championship mace. Thundering in from the Nursery End, with a four-wicket burst after lunch he claimed six for 28 and with South Africa all out for 138 in 57.1 overs – 74 behind – all it needed was a further top-up of runs.
Instead, with help from a beige surface that has still delivered a bat’s width of nibble throughout, South Africa delivered a stirring fightback of their own. At stumps Australia were 144 for eight – a lead of 218 runs – and the spectators who witnessed the carnage unfold could finally draw breath.
Some of them were probably querying the pitch on the way out. But 28 wickets falling in the space of six sessions may say as much about how bowlers can adjust quicker to a one-off showpiece. After a rusty first day, Lungi Ngidi was the last of them to get up to speed, his cheap removals of Steve Smith and Beau Webster amid figures of three for 35 dragging South Africa back into contention.
Their heads could easily have dropped after the onslaught from Cummins that took him to 300 Test wickets. There could also have been a few envious glances cast by Kagiso Rabada, star of the first innings. As unrelenting as he was, Australia’s captain had profited from a collective asphyxiation that, among the frontliners, saw only Mitchell Starc go at more than two runs per over.
But after once again making early inroads – Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green nicking off cheaply once again – the South Africa cavalry arrived. And in the space of 25 dizzying overs Australia were suddenly 73 for seven. By the close the defending champions were grateful to Alex Carey for a nuggety 43 that, along with support from Starc, meant the chase would require the highest total of the match.
South Africa will be hoping the top order that crumbled to 43 for four on the first evening can find their feet second time around. A bit like the World Cup semi-final in Kolkata 18 months ago, their initial effort had felt like a Chinese finger trap, every wriggle making things tighter. There was some defiance, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham throwing the odd counterpunch, but the task was arduous.
Having shut down Bavuma for 36 via a loose shot to cover, Cummins simply came into his own after the lunch interval. Smashing the surface with remorseless accuracy, a spell of four overs, four for three – closed off by a wonderful diving catch by Webster in the deep – felt utterly game-breaking at the time.
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It had started with a scene straight from Super Rugby, Cummins appealing for an lbw against Kyle Verreynne and summarily flattened as his mark attempted a single. Cummins cared only for the review, however, and when three reds appeared on the big screen, he was suddenly in a scrum of jubilant teammates.
This was the first of five wickets to fall for just 12 runs, as well as the first of two in the over courtesy of a return catch from Jansen, but most critical was that of Bedingham. Though typically a dasher for Durham, the right-hander had ground his way to 45 only to be undone on the back foot by a classical edge behind.
