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What a start for Australia! Mitchell Starc strikes early with a beauty. Bowling full at 138 kph and swinging it away from the left-hander, he tempts Ryan Rickelton into a loose poke without any footwork. A sharp take by Alex Carey low to his left prompts a confident appeal, and after a brief discussion, the umpires send it upstairs. UltraEdge shows a clear spike as the ball passes the outside edge, and the replays confirm a clean catch. The decision flashes OUT on the big screen — Australia have their breakthrough in the first over!
Welcome back for the final innings of this gripping Test! South Africa need 282 to win the World Test Championship Final. The openers, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, stride out with purpose, knowing they carry the hopes of a nation. Mitchell Starc, fresh off a brilliant fifty and brimming with confidence, has the new ball in hand for Australia. The stage is set for a dramatic finish at Lord’s.
South Africa face a monumental challenge as they set out to chase 282 to win the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. To put the task in perspective, this target would equal the second-highest successful run chase ever recorded at the historic venue in Test cricket. Only once has a team chased more — the legendary West Indies side that scored 344/1 against England in 1984. The current benchmark for the second-highest stands at 282/3, achieved by England against New Zealand in 2004. Adding to the pressure, successful chases of such magnitude are rare even in ICC tournaments — with only three instances surpassing 250, the highest being India’s 275 against Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final. For South Africa, the path to lifting the WTC mace will require not just resilience, but a place in history.
Australia were finally bowled out for 207 just before lunch on Day 3, setting South Africa a challenging target of 282 in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Aussies added a crucial 134 runs for their last three wickets, thanks to a stubborn and spirited lower-order effort led by Mitchell Starc.
Resuming the day on 170/8, with Starc and Nathan Lyon at the crease, Australia faced a fired-up Proteas attack. Kagiso Rabada made an early breakthrough by trapping Lyon LBW for 2, but that only brought Josh Hazlewood to the middle — and with him, a frustrating period for South Africa.
Starc and Hazlewood defied expectations with a gritty 59-run partnership for the 10th wicket. Starc showed great patience and resolve, while punishing anything loose. Hazlewood, though less fluent, offered solid support. The pair took Australia’s lead past 250, with Starc bringing up his 11th Test fifty off 132 balls, marking one of his most mature innings under pressure.
South Africa were left scratching their heads as the partnership dragged on. With frontline bowlers struggling to find the breakthrough, part-timer Aiden Markram finally stepped up, getting Hazlewood caught for 17 to end the stand. Starc remained unbeaten on 58, guiding Australia to a strong second innings total of 207.
Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers again, finishing with 4/59 in the innings and an impressive match haul of 9 wickets. Lungi Ngidi supported well with 3/38, while Jansen, Mulder, and Markram chipped in with one wicket each.
A historic moment as Mitchell Starc brings up a well-deserved fifty — his 11th in Test cricket — in a typically audacious manner. Marco Jansen digs it in short and wide outside off, and Starc throws his hands at it with freedom. The thick outside edge flies over Markram’s outstretched hands at first slip, racing away to the boundary with no one in the deep to cut it off. It’s a landmark moment not just for Starc but for Australia, as they also cross the 200-run mark. Starc’s knock has been a masterclass in lower-order resilience, full of smart shot selection and composure under pressure. His fifty, coupled with Hazlewood’s support, also brings up a gritty 50-run stand for the final wicket — a partnership that’s not only frustrated South Africa but also shifted momentum firmly in Australia’s favour.
Can a change of ball spark a change in fortune for South Africa? England certainly found inspiration from one at The Oval two years ago, turning the tide in a gripping Ashes Test. South Africa will be hoping for a similar twist, but the task in front of them is becoming increasingly formidable. Not only must they chase the highest score of the match, but they must also surpass their highest Test total against Australia since the infamous 2018 “Sandpaper” series. Their last eight Test innings against the Aussies have been a tale of batting collapses and unfulfilled promise — a sequence that underscores the scale of the challenge ahead. With pressure mounting and history weighing heavily, South Africa will need something extraordinary to rewrite the narrative.
The first hour of Day 3 has belonged to Australia, as their lead swells beyond 250, piling pressure on the South Africans. Kagiso Rabada struck early to raise hopes of a swift end to the innings, but those hopes have faded fast with the stubborn resistance from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The pair has added 31 valuable runs for the final wicket, frustrating the Proteas, who have looked increasingly ragged in the field. Starc, in particular, has shown composure and intent, inching closer to a hard-earned half-century as Australia strengthens its grip on the match.
Important runs for Australia as the last wicket of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood holding a bit for the team. A flurry of boundaries in the Marco Jansen through outside edge and Australia lead soars to 243.
Kagiso Rabada strikes in the first half-an hour of play as he traps Nathan Lyon plumb LBW and the umpire makes no mistake to give the Aussie batter out. Lyon does not take the review and walks back.
Nathon Lyon faces the first ball off Kagiso Rabada and immediately nicks in a single to get the first run on the board. Stuart Broad, who knows fair bit of this track, says in his pitch report that day 3 track could suit the batters and will be flat for the rest of the day.
After yesterday’s horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat that claimed 242 lives, everyone at the stadium will be involved in a minute’s silence to pay homage to the victims who lost their lives in the Air-India crash.
If SA ever wanted the most perfect weather to get 200 odd runs to win this Test, it’s here.
A batting day…👀 pic.twitter.com/UVd0tBeoUq
1st Session: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Lunch Break: 5:00 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.
2nd Session: 5:40 p.m. – 7:40 p.m.
Tea Break: 7:40 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
3rd Session: 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Note: An extra 30 minutes may be added to ensure all overs are completed.
SA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
AUS: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
As per AccuWeather, rain could intervene day 3 action between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s. There is a 60 percent chance of precipitation, with showers expected on Friday.
With bowlers dominating proceedings at Lord’s, this Test match could be over within three days. However, Alex Carey and Temba Bavuma did show some fight and resistance. Proteas batters need to showing courage if they are chase down, in what could be the highest fourth-innings score at Lord’s.
Good afternoon and welcome to the live coverage of WTC final clash between South Africa and Australia, at Lord’s.
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