David Bedingham urged South Africa to embrace the pressure and make history as they gear up to chase down a fourth-innings target and win the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.
After a back-and-forth second day, Australia hold a 218-run advantage but have just two wickets remaining after the Proteas stormed back into the contest with a magnificent display of fast bowling.
Australia started their second innings with a 74-run lead but stumbled to 73 for seven as Lungi Ngidi (3/35) and Kagiso Rabada (3/44) shook the defending champions.
Alex Carey’s excellent 43 steadied the ship but Australia are 144 for eight overnight and, with two tail-enders at the crease, South Africa will fancy their chances of keeping it down to a makeable target with the bat as the match heads for a likely Friday finish.
When they do get in, South Africa will need to bat better than they did in the first innings. Starting the second morning on 43 for four, they limped to 138 all out as Australia captain Pat Cummins took six wickets – including the 300th of his Test career.
But Bedingham’s enthusiasm cannot be deterred and the middle-order batter, who top-scored in their innings with a gritty 45, believes they have what it to takes to pull it off and win a first ICC trophy in 27 years.
“It is an amazing chance and we are very excited about the opportunity to win,” he said.
“It could go either way but there is a lot of belief. We are very confident, the batters will have their individual plans ready for the innings.
“I think it was an amazing day of cricket and when they started batting in the third innings, we would have taken them at what is effectively 220 for eight.
“We are confident and there is massive belief in this team.”
After a topsy-turvy day, Australia are arguably in the drivers’ seat – but only marginally.
After they were rocked by the brilliant fast bowling of Mitchell Starc on Wednesday night, South Africa started afresh on Thursday and quickly found their stride.
Captain Temba Bavuma hit Starc for two boundaries in the same over and then Cummins for the game’s first six shortly after that.
However, his dismissal – courtesy of a brilliant Marnus Labuschagne catch at cover off Cummins’ bowling – checked their momentum after he and Bedingham put on a 63 partnership.
That sparked Cummins into life and the Australia captain went on a tear. He trapped Kyle Verreynne lbw for 13 and then caught and bowled Marcel Jansen for a duck three balls later.
Bedingham nicked one through to Carey for 45 to give Cummins a five-wicket haul, the first visiting Test captain to do so in 17 years, before he added a sixth to finish South Africa off.
“I don’t think he ever misses,” Bedingham added.
“There is always energy in every ball he bowls. He bowled 18 overs and his energy from over one to 18 was the same, he has a good bouncer and all the skills you need, he is world-class.
“There are six quality seamers in this match and that makes batting tough.
“Personally, I don’t think Australia gave us bad balls, the boundaries we hit were off good balls. But that is why they’re the best in the world. Hopefully we can counteract it and win the World Test Championship.”.
As the sun came out, the afternoon appeared perfect for batting, but South Africa had other ideas.
For the second time in the game, Rabada dismissed Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in the same over, before Labuschagne played a poor shot and nicked Jansen through to the keeper.
Ngidi, who struggled in Australia’s first innings, then came to the party as he trapped Steve Smith lbw for 13 and Beau Webster for nine, before clean bowling Cummins for six.
With a lead of 150 and three wickets left, Australia were on the ropes before Carey struck five boundaries in a vital knock. But Rabada returned to remove him in the penultimate over, leaving this match finely poised.
“Lungi is a chilled guy so I don’t think his first innings it would have affected him that much,” Bedingham said.
“I think he struggled at one end and to changed to the other and it made a difference. To bowl nine overs on the bounce takes a lot of effort and we are lucky to have him.”
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