What happened on Day 2 of the SA vs AUS WTC 2025 final?

Wickets continued to tumble on Day 2 of World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's on Thursday, June 12. While 14 wickets fell on the opening day, the same number of wickets fell on Day 2 as the Test headed for an early finish.

Resuming their first innings at 43-4, the Proteas were all out for 138, conceding a 74-run lead, as Pat Cummins claimed 6-28. In response, Australia were reduced to 144-8 by stumps in their second innings as Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada claimed three wickets each.A late fightback ensured Australia pushed their lead to 218 by end of play.

South Africa began Day 2 of the WTC 2025 final in confident fashion as skipper Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham took the score to 94. Bavuma, in particular, was assertive, having been rather watchful in the last session on Day 1. He was, however, dismissed against the run of play. Bavuma (36) drove a Cummins delivery uppishly and was brilliantly caught by Marnus Labuschagne at cover.

Cummins ran through the lower order to finish with a brilliant six-fer and also completed 300 Test wickets in the process. Kyle Verreynne (13) was trapped lbw as Australia took a smart review. Marco Jansen (0) chipped a simple return catch, while Bedingham's (45) resistance ended when he nicked one off Cummins. The Australian captain had his sixth as Rabada (1) holed out to the short ball.

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Alex Carey lifts Australia after batting collapse on Day 2 of WTC final

Having gained a significant 74-run first-innings lead, Australia crumbled to 73-7. However, a defiant eighth-wicket stand of 61 between Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16*) pushed Australia's lead past the 200-run mark. Carey hit five boundaries in what could be a match-defining knock, while Starc held one end up.

Earlier, Rabada (3-44) dismissed Usman Khawaja (6) and Cameron Green (6) cheaply for the second time in the Test with probing deliveries outside off. Like in the first innings, Labuschagne (22) batted patiently unit he nicked one off Jansen. Ngidi (3-35) then produced a brute to trap Steve Smith leg before for 13 as the batter shuffled back and across.

A pumped up Ngidi then trapped Australia's first-innings batting hero Beau Webster lbw for 9 with a delivery that hit the seam and tailed in. Wiaan Mulder produced a beauty of a wobble seam delivery to clean up Travis Head (9). Ngidi knocked over Cummins for six, but Carey and Starc frustrated South Africa. Just before close of play, Rabada had Carey lbw with one that came back sharply.