LONDON — Australia staged a dramatic fightback with the ball after being bowled out for a modest 199 on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at The Oval, as 14 wickets fell in an action-packed contest between the world's top two ranked Test sides.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Australia's vaunted batting lineup crumbled against South Africa's relentless pace attack, with only Travis Head (48) and Steve Smith (38) offering significant resistance. However, the Aussie bowlers struck back emphatically, reducing South Africa to 104/6 at stumps - still trailing by 95 runs.
Australia's Batting Collapse
The day began disastrously for Australia as their top order folded against South Africa's pace quartet. Kagiso Rabada (3/38) and Marco Jansen (2/25) did the early damage, with key wickets including:
- David Warner caught behind for 5
- Marnus Labuschagne lbw for 9
- Usman Khawaja bowled for 13
Only a 72-run partnership between Smith and Head provided stability before another collapse saw Australia lose their last 6 wickets for just 34 runs. "We were disappointed with that total," admitted Australian captain Pat Cummins at the close. "But the way our bowlers responded showed the character of this team."
Bowlers Strike Back
Australia's pace attack immediately put South Africa under pressure. Mitchell Starc (2/25) removed both openers cheaply, while Scott Boland continued his remarkable Test form with 2/15 from 8 probing overs. The key moment came when Cummins dismissed South African captain Dean Elgar for 26 with a vicious short ball.
South Africa's middle order struggled against the moving ball, with only Temba Bavuma (32*) showing real resistance. At stumps, Bavuma remained with Keshav Maharaj (2*), but with the tail exposed, Australia will fancy their chances of securing a first innings lead on day two.
Key Statistics
- 14 wickets fell on day one - the most in a single day of a WTC final
- Australia's 199 is their lowest first innings total in Tests this year
- South Africa's 104/6 represents their worst start to a Test innings against Australia since 2018
- Only two partnerships exceeded 30 runs all day
What They Said
South Africa bowling coach Charl Langeveldt was pleased with his unit's performance: "To bowl Australia out under 200 on any surface is an outstanding effort. Our pace attack executed the plans perfectly and showed why they're feared around the world."
Australian batting coach Michael Di Venuto acknowledged the batting struggles: "We didn't adapt quickly enough to the conditions. There was more movement than we expected early on, and credit to South Africa's bowlers for exploiting that."
Looking Ahead to Day Two
With the match intriguingly poised, much will depend on whether South Africa can close the gap with Australia's total. Bavuma's resistance will be crucial, but Australia will back their bowlers to wrap up the tail quickly. Weather forecasts suggest better batting conditions on day two, which could make the first innings deficit even more significant.
As former England captain Michael Vaughan noted on commentary: "This is Test cricket at its absolute finest - two heavyweight teams going blow for blow. Australia will feel they've wrestled back the advantage, but one good partnership could swing it back South Africa's way. That's why this format remains the ultimate test of skill and temperament."