Credit: ICC
South Africa had a great outing on day one of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 against Australia at Lords Cricket Ground in London. Coming to bat first after losing the toss, the defending champions Australia were bowled out for 212 runs in the first innings on the third session of day one. For the Proteas, star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada shone with a five-wicket haul as Australia couldn’t get a big total in the first innings.
Batting first, Australia got a poor start as they were reduced to 67/4 in 23.2 overs. Kagiso Rabada struck first for South Africa by taking wickets of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green respectively in the seventh over. After a small 30-run partnership with Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne also got out after scoring just 17(56) runs, followed by dismissal of dangerous Travis Head for 11 runs. After that, Steve Smith and Beau Webster took charge of the innings.
Beau Webster scores fighting 72 runs as Australia cross 200
After the fall of first four wickets with just 67 runs on board, Steve Smith and Beau Webster took charge of the innings as the duo put up a partnership of 79 runs for the fifth wicket. Smith came up with his 42nd Test fifty and got out after scoring 66 runs off 112 balls hitting 10 boundaries. On the other hand, Webster, who is playing the fourth Test of his career went on to score his second fifty in the format for Australia. The right-hander got out after scoring 72(92) runs hitting 11 boundaries.
However, after the partnership was broken, none of the other Australian batters could stay at the crease for long as the defending champions were bowled out for 212 runs in 56.4 overs. Rabada took the final wicket to complete his fifer as he ended with the figures of 5/51. Apart from that, Marco Jansen took three wickets, while Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram scalped a wicket each.
