Legends ‘flummoxed’ by Lord’s mystery as ‘staggering’ carnage unfolds: WTC Final Talking Points

Another dramatic day of cricket in the World Test Championship decider between Australia and South Africa has unfolded at Lord’s, with champion bowlers Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada running rampant on the famous ground.

On a curious day in London, with the first session played under dark skies, the second in blazing sunshine after being delayed by drizzle, and much of the third under lights when grey skies returned, one thing remained constant. This is a bowler dominated Test.

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After dismissing South Africa for 138 to establish at 74-run lead in the first innings, the Proteas charged back into the final with a superb effort with the ball to reduce Australia to 8-144 at stumps on Day 2. Australia lead by 218 runs with two wickets in hand.

“There are a few players crying in the dressing room, especially the batters. Us poor old fellas with the bat have had a tough old time of it,” Hayden said.

Australia should not feel secure, for as Nasser Hussein and Kevin Pietersen noted in commentary, Day 3 is traditionally the best day to bat at The Home of Cricket.

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WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith, a Fox Cricket favourite downunder each summer, was completely flummoxed.

Taking his seat in the English broadcaster’s chair with an hour left on Day 2 of the decider, he was grasping for answers. And so was everyone else watching at Lord’s or tuning in via television and radio around the world.

What could possibly explain the carnage that had unfolded throughout the first two days of the showpiece match in the World Test Championship cycle?

“It is just bamboozling. Everyone who walks down those stairs to play an innings … cannot do it. They are just getting bamboozled. Techniques go out the window. It is just staggering,” Smith said.

“Everyone is just a bit flummoxed by what they are witnessing.”

These were supposed to be the best two Test nations in the world, at least by performance throughout the 2023-2025 cycle.

Both nations also boast generational bowlers in Kagiso Rabada, in South Africa’s perspective, with the entirety of the Australian attack fitting that bill.

To watch Rabada and Cummins over the first two days has been worth the price of admission alone, with the two champions delivering supercharged performances.

To reiterate, Rabada moved past Allan Donald on South Africa’s all-time Test wicket list when taking five wickets in the first innings, while Cummins recorded the best figures by a fast bowling captain at Lord’s since Bob Willis in 1982 when reaching the 300 milestone.

But surely they are not so good as to make top orders featuring Steve Smith, Travis Head and Temba Bavuma look like village cricket outfits, as much as some of the Aussies have been enduring testing patches in their careers.

Former England captain Nasser Hussein noted that this Lord’s pitch was scarcely a minefield. And despite the carnage, nor has the Dukes ball been doing as much as it usually would either in the air or off the pitch, former English batter Kevin Pietersen said.

“All us are wracking our brains to figure out why and how this has happened,” he said.

“The statistics are showing it has not swung or seamed as much as it usually does. The sun has shone at times ... so you would expect it to be a beautiful batting day. We have seen great fast bowling. As much as we talk about batting techniques, or surfaces, these are great bowlers.”

Another Fox Cricket favourite, former Indian star and coach Ravi Shastri, had a theory.

He noted most wickets seemed to fall when the lights were on. This proved the case on Thursday when, after a period of brilliant sunshine through the middle of the day following some drizzle which delayed the start of the second session. It is London, after all.

Hussein also said that while the ball may not have been moving, the champion bowlers had been relentless and precise.

“The quality of bowling and the quality of fielding in this World Test Championship has been of the highest quality and batters have struggled,” he said.

Neither Pat Cummins or David Bedingham, who spoke after play, said the pitch was untoward, with both pointing to the quality of the bowling attacks as the reason batters have been under immense pressure.

“I think with the slope, I think the bowlers have had the ability to take it, obviously with the slope, which means the ball will move more, and then they also have the ability to take it away with the slope,” Bedingham said.

“So I think just having world class bowlers with a pitch that can move both ways, I think, makes it quite tricky to bat on.”

No matter the answer, one thing is certain. There will be a result and, barring a surprise on Day 3, the final will be over before the weekend.

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth Source: AP

MARNUS SHOWS THE STRINGS TO HIS BOW

Labuschagne’s spot in the Australian team has been under pressure given his dipping average with the bat but his presence in the field and willingness to be involved is indisputable.

With South Africa edging back into the WTC Final on the second day, it was Labuschagne in partnership with Australia’s champion skipper Pat Cummins who put an end to South African captain Temba Buvuma’s resistance.

The Queenslander’s diving catch was superb and changed the momentum in the match, with Australia firmly on top with the ball from then on.

But it was not just the catch that earned praise for Labuschagne from former England captain Nasser Hussain, who said Australia’s new opener was the type of fielder every skipper wanted in the team.

“Labuschagne is a fantastic athlete. They needed something special to break the partnership. Labuschagne provided that,” he said on Sky Sports.

“Look at the position Labuschagne is in. He was crouching down low, expecting it, anticipating it. It is an exceptional catch (and) he has a brilliant technique.

“What I like about Marnus is (that he is) like a goal keeper expecting a penalty. He does that every single ball and that, for me, is someone who wants to be involved in the match.”

Matthew Hayden, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame at a ceremony in London preceding the WTC Final, stressed the eagerness in the field is critically important.

“Do you want to be in the middle and a part of the action? That is the response from Marnus Labuschagne. Yes, I do,” he said.

Marnus Labuschagne of Australia. Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

PROTEAS UP THE ANTE BUT THE COUNTER-ATTACK COMES TOO LATE

South Africa’s collapse after lunch brought undone the good work of Bavuma and Bedingham in the first session to ensure the Proteas posted a competitive tally.

But the intent with which the pair batted was a step forward after the Australians strangled South Africa in the infancy of their innings on Wednesday afternoon.

Their partnership of 64, the majority scored under dark skies on Thursday morning, was a sign they had rebounded after being shell-shocked in the infancy of the innings.

Retired England champion Stuart Broad praised their approach and said it was indicative of good coaching, though it is worth noting he acted as a consultant prior to the final.

“(There was) much better intent from the South African batting group,” he said on Sky Sports.

“What I like is that they have clearly had a chat (and) they have tried to put a bit more pressure on the bowlers. They are that good. They don’t miss.

“They have a lot more work to do, don’t get me wrong, but you can see a mentality change

and the coaches have to take credit for that.”

Bavuma, who fell for 36, was certainly more aggressive and struck the first six for the match when pulling Pat Cummins into the stands - kudos to the Aussie fan who snared that catch.

The South African skipper was given out LBW to Josh Hazlewood in a wicket that would have left his side at 5-66, but a review proved successful when showing a feathered edge.

This bemused Fox Cricket analyst and former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith, who noted Bavuma showed no sign of being aware he had managed to edge the delivery.

“There was no semblance of that in that discussion. That is so interesting,” Smith said.

“The body language - there is no thought at all with his own thinking that he has made contact with that. None at all.”

Smith also pointed to the respective tallies when stating South Africa has scarcely helped its cause with its timid approach at the crease on Wednesday night.

South Africa actually lasted an extra over than the Australians but found themselves 74 runs, or more than one run per over, behind after the first innings.

Aus v SA: WTC Final - Day One Recap | 03:17

RABADA INFLUENCE RUBS OFF ON SOUTH AFRICAN ATTACK

Even without the ball in his hand, the influence of Kagiso Rabada on the South African attack has been immense.

While Marco Jansen had already stamped himself as a strike bowler before providing superb support for the superstar in the first innings, on Thursday Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder stepped up to the challenge as well in a stunning counter-attack.

In the opening innings, the pair conceded 81 runs from 19 overs, managing only three maidens between them. As Matthew Hayden said, there was a significant gap in class between those two and South Africa’s strike bowlers.

“Ngidi could not look like he could buy a wicket yesterday. Mulder was a holding pattern at best,” Hayden said.

At stumps on the first day, Rabada was asked what he would say to Ngidi in particular. The superstar offered some simple advice.

“I would just tell him to have a good night sleep, have a nice steak, and a nice milkshake, and watch a movie and come back tomorrow,” he said.

The questions should be how Ngidi had that steak cooked, what flavour the milkshake was, the names of the film he watched for inspiration and how soundly his sleep was. Because he emerged on Thursday a completely different bowler.

Ngidi was brilliant when trapping Steve Smith, who made 13, and Beau Webster, who fell for nine, LBW during the dynamic session after tea to put Australia under the pump. He later secured Pat Cummins bowled for six to give his nation a hope of pulling off a big comeback.

“In the first innings, it was tough. There was no rhythm. I felt like I was fighting a lot while bowling,” Ngidi said.

“There were a few nerves coming back after tea ... but once I felt it was clicking, I kept running with it. It was pretty exciting. I could hear my name in one of the corners being shouted. I think that is what gives you the energy ... to keep on going.

“If we are chasing anything under 230, it won’t be easy knowing the bowling outfit they have, but we will give ourselves a chance.”

South Africa's Lungi Ngidi. Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP Source: AFP

WILL NO-BALLS BITE SOUTH AFRICA?

In a low-scoring Test, every run is critical and Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc fought grimly in the final hour on Thursday to put a distance between Australia and South Africa heading into the third day. It ensures the Aussie bowlers will have some breathing room on Friday.

As well as South Africa has bowled on both days, Ian Smith did identify a flaw that could yet prove critical in an extremely tight decider.

It is the no-ball factor. Should the margin be less than 10 runs in Australia’s favour, South Africa will have only itself to blame based on the current trend in the match.

In the opening innings, the South Africans bowled 10 no-balls, with Mulder contributing half of those in his 11 overs. They have bowled nine in the second innings to date, with Rabada the offender late as he stretched to knock over the Australian tail.

In comparison, Australia delivered just two in the South African innings, with one from Cummins and the other from Webster.

“In a low scoring match ... it shifts things. It is tight at the moment,” ex-Aussie cricketer Mel Jones said.

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