Courtesy: ICC
In the first session on day three of the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025, Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler, scored an impressive fifty in tough circumstances in the second innings, to put his team in a commanding position against South Africa at the Lord’s in London. He ended up with an unbeaten 58 off 136 with five fours, playing a key role in taking the Australia second innings to 207 runs after they were in deep trouble at 73/7 at one stage last evening.
With just 147 runs lead and three wickets in hand for Australia, Mitchell Starc joined Alex Carey in the middle, and these two batters rode their luck before stamping their authority on the South African bowlers in the third session on day three. They shared a valuable partnership of 61 runs for the eighth wicket before Alex Carey was trapped lbw in front of the stumps by Kagiso Rabada for 43 in 50 with five fours just before the close of play.
Mitchell Starc shared 59-run stand for 10th and final wicket with Josh Hazlewood
At the start of day three, Nathan Lyon was dismissed cheaply by Kagiso Rabada with yet another lbw call, to reduce Australia to 148/9, leading by 222 runs, which seemed chasable due to improving pitch conditions for batting in the first session. But, the lack of urgency and intensity from the South African bowlers allowed Mitchell Starc to build a 59-run stand for the 10th and final wicket with Josh Hazlewood, putting the opposition way behind the eight ball.
Before Josh Hazlewood lost his wicket to Aiden Markram for 17 in 53, it was the Mitchell Starc show with the bat in the first session on day three, showcasing a decent defensive technique and tremendous restraint to get past the fifty-plus score for the 11th time in his Test career. In the second session of play on day three, Mitchell Starc will be looking to take early wickets of South Africa top order with the brand new dukes ball, to put them firmly out of the reckoning to win the WTC final 2025.
If Australia are able to bowl out South Africa in their second innings cheaply, then they will become the first team in history to win the WTC trophy twice and defend their title at the same time.
