London – June 11, 2025:
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bowl first against defending champions Australia in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, setting the stage for a gripping day of cricket.
🌥 Toss Decision & Conditions
With overcast skies painting an ideal canvas for seam bowling, Bavuma opted to exploit the early conditions, hoping his formidable pace battery—including Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and spinner Keshav Maharaj—could unsettle the Australians right from the start (reuters.com).
Australia, in return, made strategic team decisions: Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood rejoined the XI, with Green coming in as opener alongside Marnus Labuschagne, while hazy selection saw Hazlewood replacing Scott Boland (reuters.com).
🎯 Proteas’ New-Ball Onslaught
South Africa’s seamers exploited the green conditions flawlessly:
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Kagiso Rabada struck early, removing openers Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in nearly consecutive deliveries, claiming a stunning double-wicket burst (theguardian.com, icc-cricket.com).
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Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi followed suit, leaving Australia reeling at 67/4 by lunch (theguardian.com).
🛠 Australia Fights Back
Despite the collapse, Australia found brief respite:
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Steve Smith stood firm, scoring a gritty half-century (66), achieving the record for the most runs by a visiting batter at Lord’s (abc.net.au, indianexpress.com).
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Beau Webster emerged as Smith's dependable partner, notching up a composed 72 in only his fourth Test innings, stabilizing the innings before pressure resurfaced (reuters.com).
Rabada finished with an impressive 5/51, becoming the first South African to claim a five-wicket haul at Lord’s since Allan Donald (icc-cricket.com).
🧩 Day 1 Summary
Australia closed Day 1 on 212 all out, giving South Africa a lead with the bat yet to come. Australia’s batsmen showed resilience, but the Proteas’ new-ball strategy yielded early dividends, turning the momentum their way (icc-cricket.com).
🏏 Ceremony & Significance
ICC Chair Jay Shah ceremonially rang the Lord’s bell, formally initiating play and emphasizing the significance of this WTC final — the first major Test championship showdown at the iconic ground since 2023 (timesofindia.indiatimes.com).
⚠️ Disclaimer
This article is based on live match reports and commentary available as of Day 1 of the WTC Final (June 11, 2025). Match conditions, playing XI, and performances reflect real-time updates. The final result and Day 2 developments remain pending.
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