Aussies Grit Their Way: Day 1 of ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 Sees South Africa Reel at Lord's

The ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 kicked off with an electrifying first day at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Australia, after being bowled out for 212, hit back hard with their bowlers, leaving South Africa struggling at 43/4 by the end of the day.

South Africa, who won the toss and opted to field first, managed to restrict Australia to 212 runs in 56.4 overs. The Australian innings was marked by a lack of significant partnerships, with none of their batsmen posting a score above 50.

However, the Australian bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, wreaked havoc on the South African batting lineup. Starc removed Aiden Markram for a duck, while Cummins bowled Wiaan Mulder for six runs. Josh Hazlewood also chipped in with a wicket, dismissing Tristan Stubbs for just two runs.

By stumps, South Africa were reeling at 43/4, with Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham still at the crease, scoring 3 and 8 runs respectively. The day was marked by a total of 14 wickets, with bowlers dominating the proceedings.

This sets up an intriguing second day, with South Africa needing to rebuild their innings and bridge the gap of 169 runs to avoid falling further behind.