World Test Championship Final. Australia vs South Africa. Day 2.

The thing about Test cricket is... you just don't know what conditions are going to be thrown at you. Not only from day to day, but session to session. And while South Africa deserved to be back in the contest after their toil through the entirety of day two, and while they would suggest not everything went their way on the day, the conditions certainly played into their hands.

Australia arrived on day two having dominated the top half of the South African batting order, leaving them 4/43 overnight and a mountain to climb to stay in the match. What they found was that all of the seam and swing that had been prominent on day one had disappeared, and what was left was a benign pitch that while not perfectly suited to batting was a far easier prospect that it had been. In these conditions Bavuma and Bedington were able to see through the Aussies pace attack, and slowly built themselves into the contest. Starc going around the wicket in the third over of the day spoke volumes as to what the Australians felt about what they faced, with blue skies and no movement with the Dukes ball. At lunch South Africa had reached 5/121, only a hundred behind on the scoreboard and an increasing chance of cutting the deficit to zero.

After lunch Australia through Cummins cut a swathe through the tail, taking the final five wickets for the addition of only 17 runs, and giving themselves a lead of 74, a sizeable advantage heading into the second innings. Pat Cummins, as he often does, charged at his opponents to finish with 6/28 off 18.1 overs, reaching his 300th Test wicket in the process. 14 years ago we all watched in wonder as Cummins made his Test debut against the same team in Johannesberg, a match where in the second innings he took a match winning 6/79 with the ball and then scored the winning runs with his 13 not out. Here, we all thought, was a man destined to take 300 Test wickets. Six years later, and we wondered if we would ever see him play his second Test match, so wracked with injuries was he that he still sat on that single appearance. Now he has his 300th wicket, and certainly not his last. 400, even 500, is not beyond him at this stage of his career. At just 32 years of age he has as long left as the desire in him to succeed exists, and that fire doesn't appear to be dying out any time soon.

One hoped that Australia could now manage to bat out the day, extending the lead out to perhaps 250 with five wickets in hand at stumps. Khawaja and Labuschagne began brightly, and as Rabada began his sixth over, one suspected it would be the last in his spell, and that the batters had seen off their biggest threat. And then Uzzy edged behind, and Green edged to slip, and two wickets in three balls turned the tide and lifted the sagging South African spirits. Both had fallen to identical dismissals in the first innings. A case of lesson not learned? Or of persistent bowling to a plan? You could only applaud Rabada for finding a way through.

At 2/32 at tea, Australia now had the chance to grind out the lead, but the conditions weren't having a bar of it. The clouds flooded over the ground, and the lights took over, creating an atmosphere that very often results in a suspension of play. Not here though, and South Africa struck while the conditions suited. Marnus nicked behind again after another start, Smith was trapped on the crease, Webster followed suit, Head was bowled off the inside edge on concrete feet, and Cummins died by the sword. Australia lost 5/29. The crowd, very much on the side of the South Africans, roared their approval with each fallen wicket, and with Australia's lead at a precarious 147 the Test Final had turned dramatically. To counter punch, enter Alex Carey, somewhat maligned in regards to his batting and seemingly always under pressure from another gloveman in the squad. But over the last 18 months Carey has been the dependable number seven that Australia expects of its wicket-keepers, averaging 43 with the bat and dropping very few chances, the first innings here notwithstanding. And again, he played his role, punching through cover and point, while Starc stood firm at the other end, playing his own role perfectly. The pair added 61 before Carey fell in the penultimate over of the day, and we won't know until tonight if Starc's dropped chance in the final over will be costly for the South Africans.

At stumps on Day Two, Australia lead by 218 with two wickets in hand. Any further runs will be handy, and South Africa will need the highest total of the match, and the fourth biggest successful chase in Lord's Test match history in order to snatch victory. What conditions will meet both teams tonight? Rain is forecast, but with South Africa getting the rub of the green on day two, will day three provide the same? No matter what, the match should be completed on day three, and a winner will be crowned.

World Test Championship Final. Australia vs South Africa. Day 1.

It has been an interesting first day's play in what should be, rain notwithstanding, a three-day World Test Championship final.

It was a brave move by Bavuma to send Australia in at the toss. Perhaps he only did it to avoid having to face Australia's pace bowling attack under leadened skies, but it was still fraught with some danger. It was one that paid dividends though with four wickets in the first session. Australia's top order still looks suspect, and without any real prospect of improving without change in the near future.

 
Khawaja was caught on the crease again, though it was a good ball and catch to get rid of him. He thrived on the dead pitches in Sri Lanka but has struggled now for 12 months everywhere else.
Cam Green was lauded for scoring runs everywhere in his short County cricket stint. It seemed less important that he scored those runs batting at five not three, and in the County 2nd Division. Again, a good ball and catch did for him, but like Khawaja there was no foot movement, a leaning prod when a good stride forward to get his foot out to the ball, and playing straight rather than to mid-wicket, may have seen a different result.
Marnus started well in his new (but ultimately surely very short stint) batting role as opener. He was proactive, he ticked the score over. And then he got stranded again, unable to score or get off strike, and he eventually fell like his predecessors had, poking at a ball he could have left or taken a stride out to. No doubt the inner circle will think otherwise, but Australia's top order is still a problem that requires a solution. Sam Konstas may well have dodged a bullet by not playing here and perhaps looking to get a fresh start against the West Indies in a couple of weeks' time.

Travis Head came out and played like Travis Head does, but in the last over before lunch got strangled down the leg side to the fourth terrific catch of the morning session by the South Africans, and with the top order having been knocked over Australia could easily have been on the cusp of being dismissed for 100 in the first innings.

Smith and Webster dominated the second session, but both had fortune that the first four batters did not have. Both could have been out LBW multiple times if the umpires original decision had wavered, or if Bavuma had taken a review against Webster when three reds showed up on replay. Luck plays an important part of all cricket matches and individuals. Webster banked his today by top scoring with 72 in an innings that befits the number six, counter punching when the team needed it. He may not yet be the finished product but he looks a likely prospect, and his bowling will be a huge benefit at some stage. Smith was as glorious as always, once again taking on the challenge as his teammates fell around him, and looking imperious against all bowlers. Somehow though he fell to the part timer again when it looked as though he was set for another trip to triple figures. His 66 was worth much more on the day.

At 5/190 at tea Australia must have been thinking of 300 and maybe a quick strike before stumps. Instead, Carey missed a full toss on the reverse sweep again, a stroke that seems to have dismissed him more than any other in Test cricket. It started a flurry and Australia lost 5/22 to be bowled out for 212. A bigger total had beckoned, and the tail for Australia was far less effective than it has been in the past. A middling score, but with conditions still suiting the bowlers Australia would have fancied their chances.

Kagiso Rabada again delivered against Australia. Coming off his own recreational drug conviction and ban that was reduced from 3 months to one in order that he could participate in this match, he was the most dangerous bowler on show. Not much has been said of his circumstances, and the secrecy that went into his being pulled from the IPL for a month to serve the ban, a ban and conviction no one was told about until after he returned to the IPL. You get the feeling that if it had been an Australian who had done this there would have been a much bigger deal made of it. Rabada's five wickets on the day were the most important part of keeping Australia to a low total.

Australia's bowlers, given an earlier shot than they would have expected, didn't waste it. Starc struck in the first over again to get Markram and should have had another not long after but Carey dropped the sitter off "Fox" Mulder. He's had better days. Starc snared Rickelton soon after to a good catch at first slip by Khawaja to make up for it, while Cummins and Hazlewood both found middle stump through T20-like defensive strokes from Mulder and Tristan Stubbs. Mulder had crawled to 6 runs off 43 deliveries, while Bavuma did not get off the mark until his 31st ball faced. Starc was at his fearsome best and deserved better than his 2/10 off 7 overs. At 4/43 and with the top order wiped out, South Africa need a Smith/Webster partnership to get them back into the match.

The conditions and the two impressive bowling attacks both showed the fallibility of the two batting lineups. It was left to the one legendary batter n Smith and the most experienced debutant in recent history in Webster (who only debuted in January in Sydney at age 31) to be the difference on the day.

Australia would be eyeing a handy first innings lead this evening and then hoping for better from their top order in the second dig, perhaps with a bit more positive attitude early on. Not silly Bazballing stuff, just energy in rotating the strike and making the South Africans change their bowling plans. South Africa need to find a way to get as close to Australia's total as possible, and then repeat today's bowling effort in return.

All signs point to Australia putting the boot in tonight, hopefully with a lead approaching 250 with six or so wickets in hand at stumps. That SHOULD be the way it goes. But that's the great thing about Test cricket. Anything can happen.

And finally - the commentary panel selected for the broadcast of this game is a bit hard to take. Lots of Englishmen, all of whom have no desire to see an Australian victory. Some Indians, all of the same mind frame. Ian Smith, who would certainly be in the same boat. And two Australians in Matthew Hayden who is painful, and Mel Jones who is the most profession one there. I know it is being played in England. But can't they just extinguish their presence, much like their cricket team did in missing this final?