Lungi Ngidi Remains Optimistic as South Africa Eyes Comeback in WTC Final

Ngidi's Positive Outlook

Despite trailing by 218 runs against Australia at the end of Day 2 in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi believes his team is in a strong position. With Australia struggling at 144 for 8 in their second innings, Ngidi is confident that they can wrap up the remaining wickets quickly on Day 3 and set themselves up for a potential victory.

Following the day's play, Ngidi shared his thoughts on South Africa's performance, stating, "We are still very much in the game. They bowled well, but we had our tasks and we executed them well." He emphasized the coach's advice to play with conviction, encouraging players to take charge of their game and be the ones to change the match's outcome.

Ngidi's Performance and Day 2 Highlights

Ngidi, who took three vital wickets including those of Steve Smith and Pat Cummins, admitted to struggling with his rhythm initially but found his form after tea on the second day. "In the first innings, I felt out of sync, but after tea, I focused on settling into my rhythm. Once I found it, I kept going," he noted, adding that the crowd's support energized him during his lengthy spell.

On Day 2, South Africa lamented missed opportunities and unsuccessful DRS calls as Australia extended their lead to 218 runs. Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada played crucial roles in bringing the Proteas back into contention after Australia had a 74-run lead in the first innings and were at one point struggling at 73/7. However, a resilient partnership of 61 runs between Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc helped Australia regain momentum. At stumps, South Africa had dismissed Starc, leaving Australia at 144/8 with two balls left in the day, while also squandering two reviews.