At the end of Day 2 of the World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s, Lungi Ngidi from South Africa felt they still had a shot. The bowlers did a good job, and the coach encouraged them to play with confidence and change the game after being bowled out for 138 in their first innings. Australia ended the day at 144/8, leading by 218 runs.
“We’re still in it. They bowled well, but we have a job to do. The coach told us to play with conviction and to go out on our own terms. Anyone can turn the game around, and that’s how we’re thinking,” Ngidi said after the day’s play.
He found the first innings tough and felt a bit jittery after tea. With guidance from Bavuma, he found his groove and kept pushing on. “It was hard in the first innings; I didn’t really find my rhythm. I was a bit nervous after tea, especially with the players out there. But Bavuma told me to focus on certain things, and once I found my rhythm, I just went with it.”
Ngidi mentioned it was exciting to hear the crowd cheering his name, and that energy helped him during a long spell. “We’re in a good spot now. If we can wrap it up in two balls, we’ll aim for that. Chasing anything under 230 won’t be easy with their bowling attack, but we want to give ourselves the best chance,” he added.
Ngidi had a standout day, taking three key wickets, while Rabada contributed with five wickets for 51 runs in the first innings, helping bowl Australia out for 212 on Wednesday and snagging three more wickets by the end of Day 2, making him the fifth leading wicket-taker for South Africa in all formats.
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