"We were still in the game… the coach told us, whatever you do, do it with conviction," said Lungi Ngidi, reflecting on a day when South Africa refused to fade despite multiple setbacks.
“Chasing anything under 250 won’t be easy, but we’ll want to give ourselves the best chance,” he added, as the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s built toward a tense finish after a chaotic Day 2 that saw 14 wickets fall and fortunes see-saw dramatically.
On a pulsating second day at Lord’s, Australia and South Africa traded blows in a gripping battle for control. Australia wobbled, recovered, and nearly collapsed again before Pat Cummins and Alex Carey helped them regain the advantage. The defending champions ended Day 2 on 144/8, leading by 218 runs with two wickets in hand.
Cummins (6-28) led from the front with a fiery spell that blew apart South Africa’s lower order, while Carey’s resilient 43 gave Australia vital breathing space after they were reeling at 73/7 in their second innings.
Earlier, South Africa had resumed on 43/4 in response to Australia’s modest 212. A patient stand between Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham added a semblance of stability.
Bavuma’s dogged 36 and Bedingham’s battling 45 carried South Africa past 100, but Cummins struck just before and after lunch to trigger a collapse. In the process, the Australian skipper also celebrated his 300th Test wicket, finishing with superb figures of 6-28 as South Africa were bowled out for 138.
With a 74-run lead, Australia looked set to press home their advantage. But Ngidi and Rabada had other ideas.
The first innings was tough… there was no rhythm. I was fighting a lot while bowling. There were some nerves. Once I got the rhythm I went running with it.
That rhythm returned with venom. Along with Rabada, who claimed 3-44, Ngidi (3-35) sparked a dramatic Australian collapse, reducing them to 73/7.
"At the end of the day, we still had a job to do. Two balls could wrap it up,” Ngidi said with quiet confidence, even as the eighth-wicket partnership between Carey and Mitchell Starc proved crucial. Their 61-run stand steadied Australia’s innings and ensured South Africa would face a challenging chase.
Ngidi also spoke of the crowd’s role in lifting his performance. “Hearing my name, it just gave me the energy,” he said after a much-improved second spell that kept South Africa’s hopes of a maiden WTC title alive.
At stumps, Australia were 144/8, with a lead of 218. Carey’s departure late in the day handed South Africa a boost, but the damage had been done. Still, as Ngidi rightly pointed out, the match is finely poised. If South Africa can polish off the tail quickly, they will have a fighting chance — albeit a tough one — with anything under 250 to chase in the fourth innings.
The final, which has lived up to its billing so far, is hurtling towards what could be a thrilling finish.
Brief Scores: Australia 212 & 144/8 in 40 overs (Alex Carey 43, Marnus Labuschagne 22; Lungi Ngidi 3-35, Kagiso Rabada 3-44) South Africa 138 all out in 57.1 overs (David Bedingham 45, Temba Bavuma 36; Pat Cummins 6-28, Mitchell Starc 2-41) Australia lead by 218 runs.
