Australia’s captain Pat Cummins said the World Test Championship final against South Africa showed how exciting Test cricket can be, even though it looks like it might end in under three days. An impressive 28 wickets fell in the first two days at Lord’s. Cummins himself took 6 wickets for 28 runs on the second day, hitting the milestone of 300 Test wickets. But with both teams struggling to score, an eighth-wicket partnership of 61 runs between Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16 not out) helped Australia finish the day at 144-8 in their second innings, leading by 218 runs with two wickets left.
It’s looking good, Cummins told reporters. The mood in the dressing room is positive. That partnership was great and a nice way to end the day. When asked if the bowlers’ strong performances took away from the excitement of a championship final, Cummins said, After two days, it feels about even. It’s a solid Test match. Some guys have settled in well, while others are still struggling.
Cummins noted that the match’s quick pace was due to a tough pitch and excellent bowling. Both teams have been bowling really well and disciplined. There haven’t been many easy deliveries, he explained. Cummins, playing his 68th Test, added, The trend is that runs are down. It’s still challenging out there, but we need to keep our bowling tight tomorrow.
As South Africa was bowled out for 138, Australia took a 74-run lead in the first innings, with Cummins especially lethal after lunch, taking 4 wickets for 1 run in 17 balls. Reaching 300 Test wickets is something Cummins calls pretty cool, and he did it at an average of 22.08. He’s now the eighth Australian bowler to hit that milestone and mentioned, Not many are on that list. It shows durability and longevity.
David Bedingham, South Africa’s top scorer with 45 runs, agreed with Cummins about the tough bowling conditions. It’s a tricky pitch, and with six quality seamers, batting is obviously hard. Still, Bedingham said South Africa is hopeful about chasing down a significantly higher target than their first innings. This is an incredible chance, and we’re excited about the opportunity to win, he said, as South Africa aims for its first major title in 28 years. It could go either way, but we have a lot of belief. I think the pitch might get a bit easier to bat on in the fourth innings. Hopefully, we can chase those runs.