Pat Cummins’s record-breaking 6/28 and South Africa’s fiery pace bowling were the highlights of Day 2 of the WTC Final. Australia gained a significant lead but struggled against South Africa’s pace attack, ending the day at 144/8.
Australia captain Pat Cummins and South Africa’s pace bowling attack dominated Day 2 of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 at Lord’s on Thursday, June 12.
South Africa were bundled out for 138 before Australia assumed their second innings with a 74-run first innings lead. However, the defending champions suffered an early collapse as they were reduced to 73/7, before Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16*) revived the team’s batting with a gritty 61-run partnership for the eighth wicket. At the close of play, Australia were 144/8 in 40 overs, along with a 218-run lead, with Starc and Lyon batting on 16 and 1, respectively.
On that note, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from Day 2 of the WTC Final.
Pat Cummins delivered a fiery spell of 6/28 at an economy rate of 1.50 in 18.1 overs. After taking a wicket of Wiaan Mulder on Day 1, Cummins took five more wickets of Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada to register the best bowling figures by a captain at Lord’s on Day 2.
Australian skipper became the first bowler to take six wickets in the WTC Final. With a fifer in the WTC Final, Cummins has nine five-wicket hauls as a captain, which is the joint-second most by a captain in Tests, level with late. Richie Benaud. Cummins’ spell was instrumental in collapsing South Africa’s batting line-up from 94/5 to 138 all out.
Proteas resumed their first innings batting at 43/4, and they lost their skipper Temba Bavuma (36) at 94/5. At the first session, South Africa were 121/5 and trailing by 91 runs over Australia’s first innings total of 212. After the Lunch break, South Africa were expected to keep the scoreboard ticking and reduce the deficit.
However, the first-time finalist suffered a dramatic collapse, with Kyle Verreynne (13) and Marco Jansen (0) falling in a single over at 126/7 before David Bedingham (45), Keshav Maharaj (1), and Kagiso Rabada (1) perished in quick succession, as South Africa were bundled out for 138, losing remaining five wickets in 17 runs and conceding 74-run first innings lead to Australia.
Just like in the first innings, Kagiso Rabada once again became a big threat to Australia’s top order in the first innings. Rabada made an early inroad by Usman Khawaja for 6. Then, the right-arm pacer, who recently overtook Allan Donald’s wicket tally of 330 scalps, provided another breakthrough for the Proteas by dismissing Cameron Green for a 2-ball duck.
Khawaja and Green were the victims of Rabada in the first innings of the World Test Championship. Rabada picked his third wicket of the day by dismissing Alex Carey for 43 to register figures of 3/44 at an economy rate of 4 in 11 overs.
Australia’s batters were unable to get going against a strong South African bowling attack, which was relentlessly putting the defending champions under pressure with constant pace, accuracy, and disciplined line and length that exploited seam conditions. After Rabada set the tone with early breakthroughs, Lungi Ngidi pocketed three wickets of Steve Smith (13), Beau Webster (9), and Pat Cummins (6), and Marco Jansen and Wian Mulder picked wickets of Marnus Labuschagne (22) and Travis Head (9), respectively.
Ngidi was instrumental in triggering further collapse in Australia’s batting line-up, reducing them from 48/4 to 73/7. Rabada, Jansen, Ngidi, and Mulder put Australia on the back foot early in the second innings, dismantling the top order and restricting any momentum with relentless pressure, sharp seam movement, and disciplined bowling partnerships.
Australia’s decision to experiment with Marnus Labuschagne as the top-order batter backfired as he failed to solidity and composure expected at the top. In the first innings, Labuschagne was dismissed for 17, and in the second innings, a slightly improved showing with an innings of 22 off 64 balls. Labuschagne was promoted to the top order after Australia management decided to bench Sam Konstas, who opened for Australia in two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
This radical change in their line-up seemed to have disrupted the familiar batting order and cost Australia the stability they used to rely on in pressure situations, as Labuschagne struggled to anchor the innings after Usman Khawaja’s dismissal and soak up the early pressure from South Africa’s fierce bowling attack.