Australia Faces Tough Challenge Against South Africa in WTC Finals
Australia's Struggles Against Proteas Pace Attack
The current World Test Champions are encountering significant challenges against the South African pace bowlers. After losing three early wickets to Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, Australia now relies on their key players at the crease. Travis Head, who was dismissed by Marco Jansen in the first innings, must step up in the second innings to prove his worth. Meanwhile, Steve Smith remains at the crease, but the top order has been severely weakened by the Proteas' bowling attack.
Key Players Under Pressure
Both Steve Smith and Travis Head carry the weight of responsibility to forge a strong partnership in the second innings. They need to replicate their remarkable performance from the 2023 World Test Championship finals, where they turned the game around after Australia was struggling at 76 for three wickets. Their partnership of 285 runs, featuring Head's explosive 163 and Smith's stylish 121, propelled Australia to a first-innings total of 469.
Head and Smith's Partnership
The World Test Championship Final 2023 took place from June 7 to 11 at The Oval in London, where Australia triumphed over India by 209 runs, claiming the Test championship title. Travis Head's outstanding innings of 163 earned him the Player of the Match award, while Steve Smith contributed 121 runs. Despite India's efforts, their batting faltered on the final day, with Ajinkya Rahane being the top scorer for the team. Australia's bowling prowess was evident as they restricted India to just 296 runs in the first innings and a mere 234 in the second.
Rabada's Dominance Over Australia
Kagiso Rabada's exceptional performance rattled the Australian top order, dismissing both Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green. Khawaja was sent back without scoring after facing 19 balls, while Green managed only four runs. This early collapse put the reigning champions on the defensive. With Khawaja's wicket, Rabada reached a milestone of 50 Test wickets against Australia, having played 11 Test matches against them and taken a total of 51 wickets.
Teams in the Match
South Africa (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(w), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.