AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final: Australia pace trinity keeps game in balance as South Africa 43/4 at stumps

AUS vs SA LIVE Score, WTC Final: Follow Latest Updates

AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final: Mitchell Starc picked up a couple of wickets, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood chipped in as well, leaving South Africa reeling at 43/4 by Stumps. Temba Bavuma was batting at 3 while David Beddingham, who finished the day with a couple of boundaries,  was unbeaten on 8. Starc made an immediate impact, removing Aiden Markram for a duck in the very first over. Kagiso Rabada tore through the Australian lineup after Tea, finishing with a brilliant five-wicket haul to bowl them out for 212 in the first innings. Keshav Maharaj struck soon after Tea, removing Alex Carey for 22, before Kagiso Rabada chipped in by dismissing Pat Cummins to pile further pressure on Australia. Beau Webster carried on Australia’s resurgence following Steve Smith’s dismissal, guiding them to a resilient position by Tea. The right-handed batter is unbeaten on 55 alongside Alex Carey (22) as Australia were 190/5 at Tea. Steve Smith was dismissed for 66 by Aiden Markram, allowing the Proteas to wrest back control of the match. Steve Smith reached his fifty with a well-timed boundary and looks settled at the crease, regularly finding the gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking. Marco Jansen got the massive wicket of Travis Head at the stroke of Lunch to put Australia in some serious trouble. Australia are four down for just 67 in 23.2 overs at Lunch. Jansen, earlier,  delivered a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for 17, pushing Australia further onto the backfoot. Meanwhile, Rabada struck crucial blows by removing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in the same over. Australia’s openers made a tentative start to the innings, negotiating three consecutive maiden overs as they looked to settle in cautiously. The ICC Test mace is once again back up for grabs, and it is a contest between two historic rivals at the home of cricket that will decide where the mace and the World Test Championship will go. Is it set to return to Australia, a land of serial winners, defending champions and a juggernaut of cricket year after year after year? Or, in a year across sports that has been one for the bridesmaids to finally have their moment, to shed disappointments of the past and take the mantle for themselves, will South Africa finally rid themselves of their long trophy curse and finally manage to get one over the line to lift the WTC title?

Australia vs South Africa WTC Final Day 1 Updates

- South Africa 43/4 (R Rickelton 16; M Starc 2/10) at Stumps on Day 1, trail Australia (212) by 169 runs.

- Mitchell Starc struck in the first over to dismiss Aiden Markram for a duck.

- Kagiso Rabada claimed 17th five-wicket haul. Australia 212 all out (B Webster 72) in first innings on Day 1 vs South Africa in London.

- Australia 190/5 (S Smith 66, B Webster 55; A Markram 1/5) at Tea on Day 1 vs South Africa in London.

- Beau Webster scored his 2nd half-century. Australia 174/5 on Day 1 vs South Africa in London.

- Steve Smith was dismissed for 66 by Aiden Markram, allowing the Proteas to wrest back control of the match.

- Steve Smith hit 42nd half-century. Australia 103/4 on Day 1 vs South Africa in London.

- Australia 67/4 (S Smith 26*; K Rabada 2/9, M Jansen 2/27) at Lunch on Day 1 vs South Africa in London.

- Marco Jansen got the massive wicket of Travis Head at the stroke of Lunch to put Australia in some serious trouble.

- Kagiso Rabada dismissed Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in the same over to put the Aussies on the backfoot.

- Australia’s openers began on a cautious note, seeing out three successive maiden overs as they took their time to find rhythm early in the innings.

- South Africa captain Temba Bavuma wins the toss and opts to bowl first

Australia vs South Africa WTC playing XIs

• Australia playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
• South Africa playing XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verrynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

It will all come down to how these two teams perform at Lord’s, which will host the WTC final, a historic venue for what could prove to be a historic moment. Pat Cummins and Temba Bavuma have marshalled terrific performances over the last 24 months to earn this spot in the title match for their teams, undoubtedly the most consistent teams in Test cricket over this previous cycle. South Africa and Australia are both blessed with spades of talent right across the team, and neither will mind playing at Lord’s, where their bowlers will be a constant threat but the attacking batters will find value for good performances.

Both teams have already announced their playing XIs, and there are no major surprises: Australia will welcome back Cam Green, a massive boost both to their batting, and especially to their bowling, which can now supplement their three incredible lead seamers with the hard-hitting pace and bounce of Green and Beau Webster. It’s an embarrassment of riches for the Aussies as they attempt to hold on to the mace, and it will need South Africa to be focused and committed through every single passage of play in this Test match to hold off a relentless opposition. It is just what Test cricket should be.

Despite the quality Australia possess, South Africa won’t be intimidated. They have had a terrific WTC campaign, winning four consecutive series, and seven out of eight Tests they have played in that span. Their sole series loss in this cycle came against New Zealand, when they sent a much-changed team to play against the Kiwis: for their core group, the players who will be on show this week, winning has become a habit, and that provides the sort of momentum that can prove difficult to overturn. 

Day one will be crucial for both teams: as the understanding goes, a Test can’t be won on day one, but it can certainly be lost. It’s a long match where plenty will happen. But this is the day that will decide the momentum.